


Defensive Interference

by monophobian



Series: The Ookami and the Miko [2]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gratuitous Smut, Humor, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:28:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2781623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monophobian/pseuds/monophobian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that the miko and ookami have finally hooked up, Sango sets her sights to keeping them together. No matter what decides to show up. Again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Proposition

It had been a little over a week since they became “official”. Things were going well so far. Well, at least with each other.

Kagome’s meeting had proven to be fortuitous and now she was working on a huge project. Her client represented one of the large businesses in the city and they had a new product to introduce to the market. They were treating this product as a label all its own, which meant more work for her. The initial contract was for a full website complete with an online ordering process, a brand logo, promotional layouts, the whole nine yards. There was also a hefty paycheck to match.

It was, in theory, the perfect project.

If only the client wasn’t such an asshole.

He started the meeting out with sexist comments pertaining to her capabilities, had ideas going in every direction except one that made sense, and when she was finally able to quote him an estimate, he laughed in her face at being “such a female.” Then, after realizing she wasn’t joking, he cursed her up one side and down the other.

 _Thankfully_ , a second representative had shown up just in time to hear his tirade and put an end to it. An hour after the meeting, she received an email from him containing a half-assed apology and an agreement to her offer. Within forty-eight hours, she had a signed contract for well over her estimate and a second point of contact in the company, should the first get out of hand. Again.

Then, the real aggravation started. The man was polite and patient during business hours, but as soon as the weekend hit, he was a nightmare. What should have been a quiet weekend spent working with Kouga – him grading papers and her drafting the initial designs – instead ended up a disaster. 

Kagome found an urgent email waiting for her requesting an immediate phone call when she woke up to take her pill. She quickly drafted a reply stating any and all correspondence on the weekend would be dealt with on Monday, as the weekend did not constitute business hours. He didn’t take that well and left her five angry voicemails during her morning romp with Kouga.

She was grateful for her solid phone case. After call number three, Kouga launched the phone out of the bedroom and into the hallway where it sat for the next two hours. The ookami then proceeded to flip her over and fuck her into the mattress.

Which had been _fantastic_.

After lunch, Kagome dared to listen to the voicemails, just in case there was an actual emergency that would affect the work she had already planned. It was message number two that had Kouga stalking out of the room after a particularly nasty comment his sensitive ears picked up. The slamming of kitchen cabinets told her exactly what he thought of that.

All of this brought her to her current location. Jackass just wouldn’t stop so Monday morning, she forwarded all emails from him to the second contact in the company and requested a solution. So, at ten o’clock on Tuesday morning, Kagome was dressed in chic business attire sitting in the waiting room on the twelfth floor of the company building, looking over downtown.

Her phone buzzed, distracting her from the view. Pulling it out of her purse, she couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face when she saw who it was.

“ _Want to know what I’m thinking about right now?_ ”

Knowing Kouga, she had a pretty good idea. “ _What?_ ”

The reply was instant. “ _How sexy you’d look stretched over my desk in that skirt._ ”

She never should have sent him that picture of what she was wearing this morning. “ _You have a room full of students. Shouldn’t you be thinking about something else?_ ”

“ _They’re taking an exam._ ”

She smiled and went to reply, but he shot out more texts.

“ _Your skirt bunched up around your hips._ ”

“ _Ripping that shirt open to see your bra._ ”

“ _God, I can’t wait to see what lingerie set you’re wearing underneath that._ ”

Kagome muffled a laugh. Kouga had been thoroughly enjoying her underwear drawer all week. She glanced at the time and realized she wouldn’t be waiting much longer.

“ _Meeting’s about to start. I’ll let you know how it goes. Be good and I might let you fulfill those thoughts later._ ”

“ _Come visit me and I’ll show you how good I can be._ ”

She smiled one last time and turned her phone off, sliding it back into her purse. Last thing she needed would be a distraction from this meeting. Even with the asshole, this was a _huge_ opportunity and would offer more than an awesome paycheck. She was definitely hoping the company would work something out.

“Ms. Higurashi?”

Kagome looked up to see the receptionist standing. She stood and approached the woman, taking in the warm smile.

“I apologize for your wait. If you could follow me?”

She followed the woman down the hallway and into a conference room. Rin, the woman she had forwarded the issue to, was already seated at the table. She gave Kagome a warm smile as the miko set her things across from her.

“Good morning, Kagome,” she greeted, standing to shake her hand.

“Morning, Rin,” Kagome returned, grateful for the smile. She had been slightly worried this meeting wouldn’t go too well, even though the two were on good terms. She took her cue from Rin and sat down in the chair, enjoying the plush leather. “I’m sorry to have had to contact you-”

“Nonsense,” Rin interrupted. “We greatly appreciate you bringing the situation to our attention. _I’m_ sorry we didn’t prevent it from happening.” Sharp brown eyes glanced down at her watch. “I’m just waiting on Mr. Taisho and then we can get this meeting started.”

The miko’s blinked at her words. She was well aware of who owned this company, but all previous dealings had given the impression that this new branding was further down the ladder than he. “I wasn’t aware this fell under his direct purview.”

“Anything that concerns misconduct of my employees falls under my direct purview.”

The cool baritone washed over the room. Rin rose from her chair and Kagome followed, turning the see the tall daiyoukai entering the room.

Well _shit_.

“Ms. Higurashi,” he greeted, extending a hand.

“Mr. Taisho.” She shook his hand, keeping a strong grip and meeting his eye.

He walked around the table, nodding his head at Rin before taking a seat next to her. The two women followed, the air shifting.

It had been years since she last saw him and their last conversation was not one she wanted to remember. He looked well, a charcoal suit complimenting his colorings with his striking silver hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She was fondly reminded of his father.

“Kagome, there is much to discuss.” Rin cut right to business. “First, you should be aware that Mr. Ishida is no longer with the company, and therefore will no longer be working with you on this project.”

She couldn’t say she was surprised. The man had sent some obscene statements.

“Because of Mr. Ishida’s…tactless actions, we are restructuring this entire project. Mr. Taisho will be overseeing the branding personally.”

Blue eyes flew to meet gold, making sure to keep the surprise out of her expression. She sat back in the chair, hearing all the things they weren’t saying. “I’m assuming our contract will have to be revised?”

“Our expectations for your production remain the same.” His voice was a deep rumble, smooth and to the point.

“Am I still producing the same materials?” she responded, knowing she needed explicit answers before leaving this meeting.

“Yes,” Rin answered. “However, we would like you to work more intimately with our marketing and press teams.”

Kagome let her words sink in, then bit the bullet and dove straight in. “What exactly are you proposing?”

“Mr. Ishida’s role was to be the runner in between you, the marketing, and the press. Rather than replacing that role, we would like to cut the middle man and have you working directly with those teams, under the supervision of Mr. Taisho.” Rin pulled a sheet out of her briefcase and slid it over to Kagome. “We would be hiring you as an independent consultant as well as retaining your contract for the design work. We anticipate this lasting until the release next summer.”

The miko leaned forward and scanned over the document, which was a release schedule of all the things she would be expected to take part in. 

“We would like you to take the time to consider our offer,” Rin continued, sliding another packet across the table. “I’ve put together all the information about the position for you to review.”

She looked at the packet, slowly thinking. It wouldn’t hurt to at least _look_ it over. And this was huge. Slowly, she took the packet and schedule, sliding them with the rest of her things. “When do you expect an answer?”

“Next Monday. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you would like answered before then.”

Kagome nodded, and then gathered her things. “I appreciate you taking care of my issue, as well as this offer. I’ll see you next week.”

The three rose and Kagome followed the two out of the conference room. Rin disappeared into her office and the quiet miko began her walk down the hallway toward the elevator.

“Allow me to accompany you, Ms. Higurashi.”

She paused, looking over her shoulder at the golden eyes boring into hers. Nodding, she waited for him as he closed the door. “After you then, Mr. Taisho.”

They traveled in silence to the elevator and Kagome wasn’t sure what she was feeling. It had been…years. A pristine claw pressed the down button and the two waited momentarily before the door opened with a ding. He had pressed the floor button before she could and then the doors were closed.

“You reek of wolf.”

She froze. She knew he could smell Kouga on her, Kouga made sure _anyone_ with youkai senses could smell him on her, but she was shocked he mentioned it.

“Am I to assume our business discussion has concluded?”

“Miko,” came the warning rumble as he turned toward her.

“Youkai,” she spouted right back, facing him as well.

They stared in silence, the atmosphere considerably warmer than their cold words.

“You look well.”

“I am well.” She studied him for a moment. “You’re wearing your hair back now?”

“At times.”

“It suits you.”

“Hn.”

The elevator door opened and she took her cue, exiting into the first floor foyer.

“Until Monday, Kagome.”

She turned, one last time, then nodded her farewell. “Sesshomaru.”

The elevator was closed by the time she got out of the building and onto the street. She dug through her purse, turning on her phone instantly and calling the first person she could think of that would be able to talk.

“Sango. What are you doing right now?”

***

“Holy shit.”

Kagome nodded, taking a long pull from her coffee. The two had decided it was too early for alcohol, as they both had places to be later. “I know.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I have no idea.”

The taijiya looked down at her coffee, processing what she had just heard. “He said he’d never hire you.” Her best friend nodded. “You said you’d never work for him.”

Kagome sighed and nodded again.

“It’s been…”

“Five years.”

Silence again.

“Are you going to tell Kouga?”

Blue eyes reared up, pinning Sango with an affronted look. “Of course! This is a big deal, even without Sesshomaru.”

“Take Domineering Asshole out of the equation; would you take the job?”

Kagome swirled the cup in her hand. “I still want to look over everything entailed, but probably.”

The two watched quietly as a couple entered the coffee shop and slowly approached the counter. Their body language spoke of their nervousness, and it was cute to watch.

“If he can deal with this, then so can I,” Kagome said, turning back to the taijiya. “The meeting went well-”

“Except for his elevator comment.”

“-and he’s nothing if not professional. His company has always come first.” Her eyes flew around the shop, taking in everything and focusing on nothing. “I’ve already started the project and after it all, this would look great on my resume.”

Sango gave her a wry smile. “Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“No,” she groaned as she dropped her head onto the table. “I haven’t even looked at the proposal. I figured I would wait and see what Kouga thinks before I delve into it.”

“You’ve only been dating a week and his opinion means that much?”

“Like you and Miroku did any better.” She dodged a wadded up napkin Sango threw at her. “He’s the one who pushed me to report Ishida. I already promised to tell him the details and I can’t imagine considering this offer _without_ telling him. I mean, wouldn’t you want to know if Miroku got an offer to work under one of his exes?”

“But you two didn’t date.”

“No, I gave him my virginity and he fucked me raw for six months.”

“I thought it was four.”

“I lied.”

Sango eyed her suspiciously. “You lied about when it started or when it ended?”

“Started.”

“Good.” Kagome looked at her friend in surprise. “I thought something was going on before you told me.”

She smiled, finishing the rest of her coffee. “So, I’m not insane for thinking this is a big deal?”

“Hell no!” Sango retorted. “This is a _huge_ deal and I’m glad you’re going to see what Kouga thinks.”

The miko’s jaw dropped open. “You just said-”

“I was making sure you had your priorities straight.” It was Sango’s turn to duck from a projectile napkin. “It’s been a week! I had to see if you were being stupid and trying to delude yourself in how much you care about him.”

“Are you satisfied?” Kagome asked, dryly.

“Very.” Sango finished the rest of her drink and stood. “You mentioned shopping?”

“Yeah, I want to find a cheap pair of fake glasses.”

“Why?”

“To see what Kouga thinks of sexy librarians.”


	2. A Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...just...um...  
> Remember how this entire thing started out as a PWP? Come to find out the addition of a plot didn't take away from the smut. So, yeah. I'm still not sure where this chapter came from. I guess I was too excited for glasses?
> 
> Hope you all have (or had) a good new year! Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me to see where this train wreck is going to go next. :)

“You’re still at the school?”

“Yeah,” came Kouga’s answer. “I started grading first block’s exams during planning and I’m almost done. Figured I can finish here and have less work to do at home.”

She smiled, already pulling into the school’s parking lot. _Technically_ , he did invite her to visit him. “You’ll call when you’re done?”

“Of course. You have a meeting to tell me all about and,” his voice dipped to the low tone that sent her blood racing, “there’s this skirt of yours I have to get under.” Even through the phone, he managed to sound absolutely sexy.

They said goodbye just as she was parking in an open spot right next to his Jeep. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed her hair was still in place and her makeup hadn’t smudged. She pulled the fake glasses out of the shopping bag, ripped off the tags, and put them on, completing the look of a sexy librarian. Or secretary. _Ooh_. Maybe even principle. She wouldn’t mind playing his boss in her outfit.

Whatever he saw, she was absolutely certain he was going to like it, especially when he saw the slight adjustments she had made to her outfit.

***

Three more. Kouga had three more exams to go until he was done for the day. The class overall did better this time around than they did the first, but still. Some of the answers he was reading made him wonder just what they were actually paying attention to during his class.

Not that he was any better. For the past week, all he’d been able to think about when he had free time was his girlfriend. _Girlfriend_. How long had he wanted to attach that label to Kagome? Had he any idea she was interested, he would have sealed that long ago.

Now he was screwed. As soon as one thought turned to his miko, all thoughts followed. And he still couldn’t forget the picture she had sent him this morning. She _had_ to know what it did to him, showing off her profile in a black pencil skirt that hugged every inch of her curves perfectly. She had paired it with a white, collared button-up blouse. He could just imagine unbuttoning the top few buttons, popping the collar high around her neck, highlighting that expanse of smooth, soft skin from her throat down to her cleavage-

He was never going to get these exams finished.

Shifting in the chair, he adjusted his pants to a more comfortable position, then turned back to the exam in front of him. It wouldn’t take long. He just had to finish and then he could be on his way to track down his miko, who was hopefully still in said skirt, and fuc-

The door to his classroom opened just as the scent hit him. He jerked up, watching in complete disbelief as the object of his rather dirty thoughts appeared in the doorway, looking almost _exactly_ as he’d been picturing her.

Her hair was pulled back with messy curls dangling down her cheeks and neck. Red lipstick emphasized her plump lips; dark liner highlighted the eyes hiding behind black-framed glasses. Her shirt had been unbuttoned, right past her cleavage and to the base of her bra, showing off the red lace. Her skirt started there, hugging the entire curve from her waist to her thigh. Mesh black stockings followed the line her of legs down to a pair of sexy heels – they were the same shade as her bra.

She closed the door behind her and slowly approached him, her hips swinging from side to side. All he could do was stare. Sure, he’d had her put on a few things he found in her lingerie collection, but nothing like this. When she stepped between his legs and leaned back against his desk, he almost swallowed his tongue.

“Tell me you didn’t go to the meeting like this,” he rumbled, not able to keep his hands from dropping to her hips. He moved toward her, nuzzling into her throat. “Tell me this is just for me.”

Her hands gripped his shoulders, pushing him back against his chair as she leaned forward, giving him an _excellent_ view of her cleavage. “I wore what you saw in your picture this morning.”

“So you decided to-”

She interrupted him by capturing his lips with hers, slowly nibbling on his bottom lip. The nibble turned into a bite, which she soothed with her tongue. He groaned when she sucked his lip into her mouth, then released it with a _pop_.

“It has been brought to my attention that you have been neglecting your students,” she murmured, gliding her lips underneath his chin and down to his throat. “Sexting in class, Mr. Takiyama?” She _tsk_ ed him as he let his head fall back, giving her room to lavish his neck with attention. “What am I going to do with you?”

Kouga was mesmerized. Kagome continued down his chest, allowing him to look back down and watch her as she knelt between his legs. Her hands slid up his thighs, gripping his hips as she nuzzled into his groin. _Damn_ , she was sexy.

“Maybe if I relieve some of your _stress_ , you’ll be able to focus on more important things.”

That’s it. He died. He was dead. Or dreaming. He fell asleep on his desk grading papers, and was dreaming of her in his classroom, undoing his pants and taking out his cock. When her mouth closed around the tip, red lips pursed as they sucked, he bit back a curse. She was going to kill him.

“Mr. Takiyama, don’t you have exams to grade?”

That low seductive voice of hers was going to do him in. “You expect me to grade while you’re-”

“If you’re not able to get your work done, then I shouldn’t be distracting you.” Kagome emphasized her words by sitting back on her heels, reaching for the fastening of his slacks.

“Oh, God, please don’t stop.” He grabbed a paper and pen from his desk without looking, catching onto her game. Concentrating with everything he had, he forced himself to look at the exam, praying that she wouldn’t leave him like this. The distracted ookami was rewarded with her tongue gliding up his length.

“I’ll relieve stress as long as you’re working,” she murmured before taking him back into her mouth.

Kouga had never been so fucking frustrated. It was hell feeling what she was doing, knowing what she looked like while doing it, but having to actually concentrate on grading an exam. He wanted nothing more than to be watching her, concentrating on _her_ and the little miko knew it.

Then his phone rang. The classroom phone.

“Answer it,” she said in between sucks.

God _damn_ it.

“T-Takiyama,” he ground out, praying that whoever it was had the wrong classroom.

“ _Hey Kouga!_ ” a female voice said on the other end of the line. The department head. Great. “ _You have a second?_ ”

A quick glance into Kagome’s hard gaze told him he wasn’t allowed to say no. “Yeah, what’s up Ayumi?”

“ _We’re still doing that class swap Friday, right?_ ”

Kouga made the mistake of glancing down. Those blue eyes twinkled at him from behind black frames. Her lips moved into a smirk, and then she was shifting, moving him further into her mouth. One final glance up at him and then-

“ _Fuck._ ”

Plump, red lips were wrapped around the base of his cock. This was new and he couldn’t even get past the feel of her throat working around his dick to wonder how it even happened. She slowly slid back up his length leaving a red ring from her lipstick circling around where she held him.

“ _Did you forget?_ ”

Shit. “No,” he almost groaned. He cleared his throat and tried again. “No, sorry, I didn’t forget. Yeah, we’re still on for Friday.”

“ _I have a couple students that have specific questions about youkai history. Do you feel comfortable answering them?_ ”

Kagome took pity on him and gave him a moment to answer. “Depends on the question. Can you get a list beforehand?” And then he was back into her mouth, her tongue doing delicious things to the underside of his cock.

“ _That’s what I was planning on. I’ll send it your way by lunch, Thursday._ ”

“Sounds good,” he growled, not able to keep the rumble out of his voice that time. Thankfully, Ayumi didn’t notice and hung up after a quick good-bye. Kouga slammed the phone down onto the receiver and instantly dropped his hands to Kagome’s head.

“Damnit, Kagome,” he groaned, leaning back into his chair.

“You don’t like this?” she asked, her voice too perky, her tongue sneaking out to taste his tip again. “Should I stop?”

“Oh God _no_ ,” he groaned.

“You brought this on yourself,” she murmured, her hands stroking his length so she could talk, “teasing me like that right before a meeting.”

“You’re the one who sent that picture.”

“You saying I shouldn’t have?” Kagome smiled, and then paused the conversation so she could take him back into her mouth. His head rolled back, a low moan escaping his throat as she worked hers over him.

“Shit, Kagome, where did you learn to _do_ that?”

She ignored him, _thankfully_ , and continued what she was doing, working up and down with the right amount of suction. He could only watch her and groan. She felt so damn good and he felt the build. She knew it, listening to the noises coming from him and feeling the building tension.

He felt it, he knew it was coming, and her mouth was so warm and wet and hot that if she didn’t stop, he was going to-

She was gone. She released him, moved back from him and was on her way out the door before he knew it. “You’re coming over tonight, right?” was the last thing he heard before the door closed behind her.

Kouga looked from his still-hard cock to the door and back again before shouting out a curse.

***

Kagome smiled as she heard a car door slam, knowing exactly who it was. She still couldn’t believe she had done that to him, but the look on his face when she walked out the door had been priceless. And if the waves of youki pulsing from outside were anything to go on, the pounding she was about to receive was going to be worth it.

The front door opened forcefully, then closed on a loud bang. She was waiting in her office, sitting at her work desk, and still wearing exactly what she wore to visit him earlier. She had thought about trying to work when he showed up, just to tease him further, but scratched that idea immediately. She was too excited; he would smell the deceit immediately.

Her office door swung open and everything tensed at the sight. He was _pissed_. Blue eyes glared at her from a sea of red, the claws on his hands were long and sharp, his tail swishing behind him in agitation. There was a moment of them staring at each other, then he stilled, breathing in the air. She watched those red eyes close, his nostrils flare, and she knew he could smell how ready she was for him.

Instantly, he was on her, pulling her off the chair and dropping her back onto the cleared desk. His claws raked down her blouse, ripping off the buttons and tearing it open. Her skirt was yanked up around her hips, then he stilled.

Kagome smiled up at him, knowing what he found. She had gone without underwear. Instead, there was a black garter belt holding up the thigh highs she had found when shopping for her glasses.

Kouga didn’t waste any time. She heard his zipper, then she felt the heat of him. His claws were digging into her hips and then-

“You…little… _tease_ ,” he snarled, plowing his entire length into her on one thrust. His voice was dark, deep, and guttural, his movements harsh and forceful.

He bent over, capturing her lips in a bruising kiss before nipping at her lip. He followed the line of her neck down, testing the points of his fangs on her skin before he reached her breasts. She looked down to see him meet her gaze, his hips never stopping, then he closed his teeth over a bra-covered nipple, _hard_.

“You thought you would get away with what you did?” he ground out, his growl rumbling through her chest.

She cried out as he bit down again.

“ _Did you?_ ”

“No,” she moaned, arching underneath him, feeling the pressure building hard and fast. His teeth tugged at her nipple and-

He snarled, lifting off her and pulling out of her. Before she realized what happened, the claws in her hips tightened and then she was flipped over, her feet falling to the floor as he bent her at her waist over the desk. His length thrust back into her, picking up his brutal rhythm as his teeth raked down her neck.

“You’re going to scream my name when you come,” he rumbled, his breath ghosting over her ear.

Kagome could only nod. He was so intense, his youki still pulsing over her in time with his thrusts. He was forcing her closer to that edge and making sure she knew who was doing it. One hand left her hip to grip her shoulder, pushing her down over the desk. The subtle change to the angle was all she needed, and after a few more thrusts, the coil burst, sending pleasure through her body as she screamed out his name, just as he demanded.

His hands tightened, claws pricking her skin, and then that snarl sounded above her head. His cock jerked in her, swelling deep and anchoring within her as he came. He collapsed over her, careful not to move his hips.

They lay still for a moment, the silence only broken by their pants.

Kagome arched back to look at him. “You-you’ve-”

“Careful,” he murmured, his voice having returned to it’s normal timbre as he leaned his weight onto her to keep her hips still. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She blew out a breath. “You haven’t done that before.”

“I know. I can usually keep it from happening.” Kouga’s lips lazily kissed across her shoulder until he gently nuzzled into the curve of her neck. “I’m sorry.”

Now she was confused. “For what?”

“Losing control like that.”

She shivered at the thought. “You don’t have to apologize.”

He stilled over her, his nose pressed against her skin. She felt him inhale and then he jerked back, his hands moving over her shoulder and hip. “Shit, Kagome.”

“What?”

“You’re bleeding.” His hands roved over her back, a soft glide to check her muscles. “Damnit, I’m so sor-”

“ _Kouga_.” He stilled. “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize.”

Carefully, she felt his hips shift, testing. He slowly slid out of her and gently turned her around to face him. His worried gaze searched hers. Kagome leaned up to kiss him, softly, as her arms wound around his neck.

“I already told you, it’s going to take a lot more than that to get any complaint.” The barest of smiles touched his lips and she gave him another kiss. “I wouldn’t mind a shower, though.”

His smile grew and he touched his forehead down to hers. One arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other around her waist, and then she was in his arms as he slowly walked to her bathroom.

“How did your meeting go?”

“Well, they fired Ishida.”

“Good,” he snorted, opening the bathroom door. “He fucking deserved it. So what next?”

She paused, a little uncertain. “They offered me a temporary position.”

“Really?” he responded as he set her down on her feet. She reached to remove her shirt, but he stilled her hands. With a soft, gentle touch, he slowly began removing her clothing.

She couldn’t help the smile at his actions. “Yeah, they asked me to do his job in working between the different teams and the design. I haven’t actually looked over the specifics, but from the schedule, I think I would be working in their office a couple days a week until the release.”

When her skirt hit the floor, his eyes focused in on her garter belt. “I really do like this,” he murmured as his hands traced the lace. Then he looked back at her as his hands wrapped around her to find the clasp. “There’s a ‘but’ somewhere in there.”

Kagome bit her lip, watching him as he removed the last of her clothing. “I would be working directly under Sesshomaru.”

He stilled ever so slightly before dropping to his knees, gliding her thigh highs down her legs. She balanced her hands on his shoulders as he lifted one of her legs, removing the heel and stocking in one pass before doing the same to the other. He was back to his feet and running his hand through her hair and releasing her messy bun before he drew in a breath. “He was there?”

She nodded.

“Did he say anything?” Kouga started removing his own clothes, which she shamelessly enjoyed watching.

She shook her head, then paused.

“Kagome.”

“He escorted me down to the first floor after the meeting,” she replied, “and told me I reek of wolf.”

A soft chuckle met her ears as he stepped out of his pants and shoes. “That you do,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “What exactly would you be expected to do?”

“I don’t know. They gave me all the information for the offer, but I haven’t looked over it yet.” She saw his question. “I wanted to wait to see what you thought.”

His answering smile made the anxious wait worth it. Kouga picked her off her feet and set her down in the bathtub, climbing in behind her. “Shower first,” he said, nipping at her shoulder. “Then we can go see what they gave you.”


	3. A Confrontation

When Kagome stepped off the elevator onto the twelfth floor of Baku Corp, coffee in hand, she was not expecting anyone to be waiting for her. She arrived early, thanks to her overestimating morning traffic, so she anticipated sitting in the waiting area watching the people below.

Instead, the elevator doors opened to reveal a tall, silver-haired daiyoukai dressed in an impeccable black suit with a magenta tie. His hair was, again, pulled back into a high ponytail, and those molten golden eyes landed on her as soon as she saw him.

The miko steeled her nerves, repeating her inner monologue that _this is just work_ and stepped out into the foyer.

“Good morning, Mr. Taisho,” she greeted, aiming to start the meeting on a high note.

She was extremely happy she had decided to watch him. As she approached, the smallest change occurred on his face and an expression she used to be quite familiar with flashed over his features. It was gone as soon as it appeared, but it was there and she had seen it.

He could smell Kouga all over her.

“Ms. Higurashi,” he replied, shaking her outstretched hand. “You’re early.”

“I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic.” She studied him for a bit. “Do you always wait here?”

He studied her for a moment before he turned and led her down the hallway. “Let me show you to your office.”

Kagome stopped in her tracks. “My office?” He paused with her and she saw his head tilt in her direction. “I haven’t accepted this position.”

“Yet.”

What an _arrogant_ –

“You wouldn’t have brought your portfolio were you intending to turn it down.”

She glanced down at the large tote hanging off her shoulder. “I have negotiations you might not accept.”

He ignored her protest, continuing past the conference room they had first met in. A few doors down he turned, pushing open the door to allow her to enter. Their gazes met, challenging each other on the victor, and curiosity got the better of the miko. She turned and looked into the room.

She could have killed him.

It was gorgeous. Bright, welcoming colors, beautiful dark woods, comfortable chairs, luxury dripping from each piece of furniture in there. What caught her eye, however, was the massive wall of glass looking out over the street below.

Temporary design consultants didn’t get a window office.

Kagome whirled on him, intending to walk right back out, but was stopped in her tracks. He towered over her, having followed her in and shutting the door behind him, blocking her exit. The smirk on his face told her he planned this.

“You _fucking_ –”

“I’ll forgive that since I’m not technically your boss yet.”

Kagome stopped, closing her eyes and inhaling what she hoped was a calming breath. And then her eyes flew open. Her sense of smell shouldn’t have been able to pick up his scent. She shouldn’t have been able to smell him from where she was standing. However, she could smell him _everywhere_.

“What’s going on, Sesshomaru?”

He glared down at her, the line of his jaw tightening. “You come into _my_ building doused in the scent of that insipid ookami and dare to insinuate that _I_ am doing something?”

“Leave him _out_ of this!” she hissed. She could feel her aura expanding, riding waves of anger as it pulsed from her and fought to bring it back in. Purifying her boss on her first day was not a good way to start a job.

The two were silent for a moment as her breathing slowed. Kagome took deeper breaths, trying to find something that made sense of what was going on.

“Look, this is obviously a mistake–”

“Kagome?” The door cracked open and Rin peeked into the room. Her eyes flitted from a seething Kagome to a stoic Sesshomaru and back again. “I’ll be in the conference room whenever you’re ready.”

The door shut, leaving the two staring at each other.

“This is not a mistake.”

She snorted. “We haven’t even been in the same room for five minutes and we’re already fighting.”

“I can remain professional during business hours.”

She heard the words he wasn’t saying. “Will I be disciplined for what I say after hours?”

A jerk of his chin told her they were on the same page. They would keep a strictly professional relationship while working together; he wouldn’t provoke her and she wouldn’t retaliate.

“You will leave Kouga out of this.”

“The Alpha?” he shot out immediately as an eyebrow rose in question, an unusual display from him.

“You didn’t know who it was?”

“I did not look past the smell of wolf.”

She took in a steady breath, steeling her nerves. “He stays out of this or I’m walking out that door.” The last thing she ever wanted was for this controlling, domineering daiyoukai manipulating her through Kouga. She cared too much for her ookami to put him in the middle of their spat.

Sesshomaru’s golden eyes narrowed into slits as he considered her. He took in a breath and broke his stare before giving a curt nod. Kagome blew out a sigh of relief and followed him out the door.

An hour later, Kagome was back in her office. _Her_ office. She still couldn’t believe it. Even after the morning fight, the meeting had gone well. They accepted her negotiations, even adjusting a few things on their end to work around her schedule. She was concerned that the freelance business she had worked so hard to build was going to fall to the side with this contract.

The compromise was simple – while she was to work in the building four days a week, two of those days she was free to work on outlying projects, so long as she was available for any questions or concerns. She was grateful they allowed her to keep her projects.

A knock on the door had her looking up and Rin popped through the door.

“May I come in?”

“Of course,” she answered, grateful for the other woman.

Rin took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the miko. She smoothed out her skirt before fixing the miko with a bold stare. “Is there something wrong with the office?”

Kagome blushed. “No – I mean, it’s great, but–”

“This was Mr. Ishida’s office,” she explained, interrupting the miko’s stuttering. “We thought it appropriate to give you the space, seeing as you’re the one taking over his role. It creates less confusion for the vendors who have already begun working with us.”

Kagome’s lips pursed into an ‘o’ in understanding as she accepted the explanation.

“My office is across the hall and Mr. Taisho is a few doors down. Most meetings for the product are held on this floor in the conference room, so it gives you easiest access to where you need to go for any questions or concerns.”

She now felt like an idiot, and her blush flamed up her cheeks once again. “I appreciate it.”

Rin smiled, taking pity on the woman. “We wanted you to feel welcome here.” She glanced around teasingly before lowering her voice. “I know Mr. Taisho can be a bit much to deal with, so I wanted you to work in comfort to make up for it.”

Kagome laughed in response, suddenly feeling at ease. “Thank you,” she replied.

“Alright, your first meeting’s not until after lunch, so mind running down to the café with me? This is a rare Monday with no early appointments, so I’d like to take advantage of it.”

Rin’s kind warmth ran away the last lingering doubts in Kagome’s mind. “I’d love to.”

***

The rest of the day had gone well. After returning back from the café, Kagome took advantage of the free time and spent the rest of the morning arranging her office.

The afternoon meetings had been a success. The transition of working with her seemed to sit well with the other teams, making working together a little easier. There were some things that would take some getting used to, but for the most part, Kagome could see it working smoothly.

Her phone rang, the vibration on the desk pulling her away from the drafts of her designs. A quick glance at Kouga’s name flashing on the display had her smiling as she answered it.

“Hey there.”

“ _How’s my sexy woman liking her first day at her job?_ ” came his voice over the speaker.

“Going pretty good,” she replied, leaning back in her chair. “I’m almost done here and then I’ll be packing up and heading home.”

“ _Would you care for a small detour?_ ”

“What do you have in mind?”

“ _Well, a secretary pointed me down this hallway…_ ”

No way. She dropped the phone onto her desk and bolted to the door. She had closed it an hour ago, blocking out the sounds of the afternoon bustle so she could finish one last draft. Now, she was wishing she had left it open.

The door swung open to reveal Kouga, his blue eyes twinkling down at her. He must have just come from the school, still dressed in nice slacks and a white button-up, his tanned skin peeking through the top unfastened buttons. He swooped down, capturing her lips in a kiss as he stepped into her office.

“Hi,” he said after pulling back, a wide smile on his face.

“Hi yourself,” she replied, still in shock he was there. “What are you doing here?”

“You’ve been a little quiet all day, so I figured you were still at work and wanted to come visit.” He looked around the office, his expression similar to her initial one this morning. “What a set up.”

Kagome blushed, heading back to her desk to save her files and get ready to leave. “Yeah, I still don’t know what to think of it.”

“That they want to keep you,” he responded. He took in a breath and couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose.

“I can smell it, too.”

Kouga shrugged. “He owns the building; of course it’s going to smell like him.” He watched her as she turned off her computer and packed up her things. She wasn’t wearing a skirt today, but her slacks shaped around her ass when she bent over. “You up for going to dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“It’s your first day. I figured we could celebrate with some steak.”

She turned in time to see his gaze traveling up her legs as she grabbed her bag. A smile hit her lips as she approached him. “And what about the after dinner celebration?”

His eyes darkened, his lips forming a devilish smirk. “I don’t think we’ve hit your kitchen yet,” he murmured.

“That works for me.” She gave her office one last sweep, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She grabbed her phone from the desk and turned to leave, finding Sesshomaru standing in the doorway.

She wasn’t sure if they were still on business hours.

“Leaving?” he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Yeah, I’ve finished what I can for the day.” She stopped. There was no reason for her to justify what was going on. “Is there a protocol in place?”

“No,” he answered, moving out of the doorway to allow them to leave. “You are free to come and go as you need.”

The pit of her stomach told her he was saying something else entirely.

“It’s been a long time, Ookami,” he murmured as Kouga exited the office.

“It has,” he replied, squarely meeting the daiyoukai’s gaze. “You done well with this company.”

Sesshomaru nodded, accepting the compliment, before turning back to the miko. “Tomorrow.” He turned and went back to his office.

She smiled, watching him retreat and then turned to Kouga. The ookami was still, his jaw tight and eyes glittering as he watched the inu disappear into his office. “Kouga?”

He broke his gaze, looking down at his little miko before following her to the elevator. His hands clenched at his sides, careful not to draw blood, no matter how much he would love to stain the carpet with his scent. As soon as they were in the elevator and the door closed, Kouga had her pressed against the wall, his entire body crowding hers. His mouth covered hers, fangs nipping at her lips before he tore away, rubbing his nose down her cheeks, her throat, her neck.

“Kouga?”

“You don’t understand, you can’t smell it,” he growled, his teeth raking across her collarbone.

She bit her lip, holding back a moan as his hands dug into her waist. “I can’t smell what?”

“His scent is all over you.” His answer was a snarl as he pulled back and spun her around, pressing her face against the wall. His body closed over hers, his hard length digging into her rear. She felt his nose in her hair, down the back of her neck, covering every inch of skin he could reach.

“Is that why I could smell him in my office?”

A growl vibrated through her as he buried his nose into the curve of her neck. She felt him breathe, forcing himself to calm down. The elevator slowed, and he was pulling away from her before the doors opened. She turned, seeing him looking her over, reaching out to smooth her shirt and then tuck a strand of hair behind her ears. He took her hand in his and led her out of the building.

“You were quite composed, complimenting his company,” she said, peering up at him as they walked down the street. There was a steakhouse a couple blocks away, and she had a feeling that was where he was headed.

“It’s the truth. I didn’t have anything else to say,” he replied. Her skeptic gaze had him grinning. “Okay, I didn’t have anything _appropriate_ to say.”

“Is that so?” she teased. “What would you have said?”

He tugged her close, stepping out of the middle of the sidewalk. He leaned back against one of the buildings, pulling her close to him. “Keep your scent off my woman.”

Kagome rose to her toes, leaning against him for balance. “Oh, I’m pretty certain parts of me still smell like you.” His hands wrapped around her waist, his hands settling at the base of her spine. “Besides, that just means you can cover me again.”

His fangs poked out his lips when he smiled. “Don’t worry, I will.”


	4. A Question

“Kouga, how are you with blood?”

The question caught him off guard, his hand pausing from its circles on her naked hip as his lips lifted from her shoulder. “What?”

A blush teased up the back of her neck. “How do you react to blood?”

He settled back into her, moving his hand to her thigh and pulling her hips against his. His other arm slithered underneath her, cradling her against his chest as he slowly slid his nose up and down the smooth line of her neck. “That depends. Whose blood is it?”

His voice was low gravel, gliding over her skin like crushed velvet. She loved it when he got like this; the feel of his naked skin molded against hers, his breath coasting over her while he nuzzled into her, his touch soft as he roamed her body after taking her in such a demanding fashion. It was these quiet moments she found herself looking forward to almost as much as the sex that occurred prior.

“Mine.”

His chest rumbled a hard thrum, the low timbre one of displeasure. “Why would you be bleeding?” he asked, an edge added to the husky sound.

“I have about a week left of my current pill cycle, so I’ll be starting my period soon. I know that youkai–” Kagome paused, not wanting to bring up the subject of _him_ at such a tender moment. “I wanted to know–” She stopped again, still unsure of her wording.

“You wanted to know how I will respond,” he finished for her, the thought her blood singing through his mind.

She nodded, that light blush reaching her ears.

“How do you want me to respond?” he asked softly, lifting his chin to nip at her ear lobe.

“What?” she questioned immediately, shock sounding through her voice.

“I have lived around humans long enough to understand your reactions to blood,” he explained, pausing to glide the tip of his tongue along the outer shell, the hand wrapped underneath her caressing over her rib cage. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.” His lips returned to her neck, nibbling his way down to her shoulder as his hands stroked her skin.

Kagome was baffled by his response. It didn’t at all fit into what she knew from experience. Experience told her she didn’t have a choice, that natural youkai instincts overpowered human reservations, that she never had a say. To think that she did was…new.

Kouga sensed her confusion. “My instincts will go into overdrive,” he explained, propping his torso up to continue his light kisses down her arm. “I will be more protective of you, more possessive, and I’ll want be around you more. I’ll also have a hard time keeping my hands off you, but that won’t be anything new.” He proved his point as he slid his palm from her thigh to her stomach, coasting over the smooth skin above her pubic bone.

Kagome felt her eyes close, enjoying the sensations he was evoking. His hands were so light, consistently moving as his lips continued caressing up and down her arm.

“I don’t want to lie to you,” the ookami continued, lifting her arm to drape around his neck so he could nuzzle her side. “I will want to lock you in my home and keep you to myself the entire time, but I won’t because I know you won’t want me to.”

He was tracing around the curve of her breast and she was torn between having him continue his soft, slow exploration and moving his mouth to where she wanted to feel it. Remembering the elevator, she couldn’t help her following question. “How will you react to someone else’s scent on me?”

That deep thrum returned and for a small moment, his entire body tensed, ceasing all movement. His sudden reaction had her giggling and he relaxed again at the sound.

“Think that’s funny?” he teased, nipping at the underside of her breast. Her giggles opened into a laugh. He raised his head, slowly turning her chest toward him as his grin turned predatory. “I can tease, too.”

Her laughter broke into a loud moan as his lips latched onto her nipple and pulled. His hands moved together, the one underneath her reaching to cup her neglected breast while the one on her stomach slid down between her folds. She lifted her leg, hooking it back around his hips to give him more room, and his fingers instantly found her clit.

Kouga lifted from her breast to watch her as he teased her. His fingers coasted over her entrance, dipping lightly into the building wetness before returning to her clit. Not half an hour ago, he was thrusting into her while she was propped against her kitchen counter, but he wanted her again. He could never get enough of her.

Her eyes had closed and when her head fell back against the pillow, he took advantage of the expanse of her neck. Her leg fell off his hip as he turned, pulling his arm out from underneath her to hold himself over her. She turned toward him, her hands massaging into his hair while she faced him.

His hand left her folds to wrap around her leg, pulling it over him to align their hips. Her hands tugged at his hair, pulling his mouth from her neck and up to meet hers. His hard length was resting between them, rubbing gently against her satiny stomach. He felt her hands move, slipping from his hair to settle on his chest and push him back against the bed.

She followed, lifting herself over him and straddling his hips, continuing her kiss as she swept her tongue into his mouth. One hand slid down his chest, following the definitions of his muscles until it was circling around the base of his cock. She broke away from his mouth, lifting slightly to meet his gaze as she was moving, teasing, adjusting, and then sliding onto his length.

Kouga watched, mesmerized as her eyes slid close in pleasure when her hips met his. Her small hands gripped his biceps, balancing herself on his strength as she lifted herself up, and then back down in a slow, gentle rhythm. He allowed her the control, watching the muscles move underneath skin as she continued, her slick, wet heat gripping his cock on each slide.

When her hands left his arms to grip the sheets, he moved, cupping the back of her head in his hand while lifting up to meet her in a kiss. He rolled his hips, adding to the movement of her rhythm without rushing it while teasing open her lips with his tongue. Soon, the room was filled with puffs of sounds, their breathing becoming harsher each time they broke apart for air.

It was a slow climb, altered slightly by the movement of their hands, continuing the soft exploration of earlier. When her breathing morphed into panting, her legs beginning to quiver, he cradled her against him, moving her to lay her on the bed while he crawled over her and slid back in. Her legs wrapped around his hips, heels digging in to give her leverage to move.

She lost herself in the feel of his powerful body moving so carefully, worshiping her with soft kisses and gentle touches. She felt the build, the coil growing until it tightened, tensed, then exploded, her body arching under him as his hips jerked, burying himself into her as his release pulsed out of him.

He leaned down, capturing her mouth in a long, drugging kiss while he continued rolling his hips, prolonging the small spasms of her muscles. When he broke away, clear blue eyes swirling with deep affection gazed down at her before he ran the tip of his nose down her cheek. He slid out of her, moving to settle on the mattress beside her, before gathering her in his arms and pulling her against his chest. His hands splayed across her back, one of his legs draped over hers, and the last thing she remembered before falling asleep was the feel of his kisses pressed to crown of her head.

***

Kouga rapped his knuckles on the open door, drawing Miroku’s attention. The monk was sitting at his desk, papers scattered _everywhere_. He looked relieved at the ookami’s appearance.

“You about ready?” Kouga asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity at the mess.

“ _Yes_ ,” Miroku answered, standing immediately. He looked down at the mess for a moment, contemplating trying to clean some of it up, and decided to ignore it. “You’re driving?”

The ookami dangled his car keys in response. “Let’s go. I don’t have long.”

“Today, I don’t either,” the monk murmured, pulling out keys to lock the door.

“What’s going on?”

Miroku sighed, running a hand through his hair as they began walking out of the building. “Kid left a suicide note in the bathroom.”

Kouga grimaced. Instances like this always reminded him that while Miroku didn’t have assignments to grade and lessons to plan, being a guidance counselor was not an easy job. The two quickly made their way out to the parking lot.

“Alright, spill.”

He smiled as he climbed into the car, glancing over at the monk. “What?”

“You pop up in my office this morning before school starts to ask me to grab lunch with you. I know you didn’t do it just for my dazzling personality.”

Kouga laughed. Soon, they were out of the school parking lot and on their way to a market close by. “I wanted to pick your brain over what you were taught in that youkai history class you and Kagome took.”

“What about, exactly?”

“Youkai bloodlust.” The confused reaction from the monk told Kouga what he needed to know. “Kagome asked me something last night that had me wondering what she was thinking,” he explained. “It didn’t seem like something that would have been explicitly covered.”

“Well, I do remember talking about it since youkai are sensitive to certain scents, blood being one of them.” Miroku paused. “Why did she bring that up?”

Kouga chewed on his lip, wondering how much Kagome would mind being known. “Her period is going to start soon.”

Miroku looked at Kouga, processing all the information. In the years they had known each other, this was a new issue to have been brought up. “While that would normally be a valid question, this wouldn’t be her first period around a youkai. Doesn’t make sense for her to bring it up based only on what we learned in that class.”

Kouga grimaced. “That’s what I was afraid of.” He pulled into the market and parked. Soon, food in hand, they found an open table and sat down.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Miroku watching the thoughts cross the ookami’s face. From what little Inuyasha had told him, he was certain Kouga wouldn’t like what Miroku had to say. “I didn’t know her when her and Sesshomaru were…together,” he said carefully, not wanting to add more tension. “From what Inuyasha told me, it didn’t end pretty.”

Kouga tore into his meat, glad the market was equipped for youkai. Cooked food wasn’t going to cut it during this conversation. “I know Sesshomaru. He lives by the old ways as much as he can get away with.”

Miroku sat back, understanding the difference. “You think his relationship with Kagome–” The answering growl cut him off, but he wasn’t surprised. Kouga knew better than he what youkai-human relationships were during that time. “You think it was that bad?”

Kouga dropped his food onto the plate, suddenly sick to his stomach. To think that his Kagome could have been put through something–

_No._ He didn’t know what happened. He did know that Inuyasha had been a part of Kagome’s life during that time, and the hanyou cared enough about his miko to have kept her safe. There’s no reason to jump to conclusions like that.

“Kouga,” Miroku eased in, catching his friend out of dark thoughts. “I might not have know her then, but I knew her after it was over. She was hurt, but she wasn’t broken.”

“Which was the impression I got,” Kouga replied, thinking it through. “If it were really that bad, she wouldn’t have taken the job.” Miroku nodded in agreement, taking a bit out of his sandwich. “But what would have her asking about my control over her blood?”

That was the question. “Did you ask her that?”

He shook his head. “No. I wanted to check with you first.”

“I could be wrong,” the monk admitted. “She’s been friends with Inuyasha for a long time, so who knows where that could have come from.”

“Bullshit.” Kouga met his gaze. “You don’t believe that; I don’t believe that. Kagome’s usually a pretty open person, but she wasn’t about this.”

The two fell into silence, finishing the rest of their lunch. They were back in the car before Miroku decided to break it. “What did you tell her?”

“That I wouldn’t do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. It’s going to eat at my instincts, but her comfort comes first.”

“How did she react?”

Kouga paused, pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to the school. “She was surprised,” he answered softly, “like it didn’t make sense that I wouldn’t want to do anything to upset her.”

“You said Sesshomaru lives by old ways?” Miroku asked. “What would that mean in this situation?”

“They put youkai instincts first and completely ignored how humans would react,” he answered slowly. “It was a different time; our instincts kept us alive for the most part, so the practice stemmed from safety. Also, we didn’t mix with humans much, so that wasn’t usually a problem.”

“You think Sesshomaru would have followed instinct?”

“I have no doubt he would,” Kouga snorted. “I went to visit her yesterday after leaving here. Her office smelled like he lived in it.”

“You think he did that on purpose?”

“I know he did. The rest of the building held traces of him, but not like that.” He had kept that information from Kagome. The last thing he wanted to do was cause extra stress in her new position. “I always got the impression that he wasn’t completely invested in her. Pulling that kind of shit doesn’t make any sense if he drove her away in the first place.”

Miroku’s silence as well as the growing scent of unease spoke volumes.

“Fuck.”

“Inuyasha told me she left him,” the monk admitted quietly. “I never saw any reason to doubt it.”

Kouga parked his car, putting the gear in neutral as he sat there, letting that information sink in. This was going to be harder than he thought. If she accidentally managed to bruise the asshole’s pride, he wasn’t going to let that slide again. “I’m going to have to talk about this with Kagome, aren’t I?”

“Not necessarily,” his friend answered. “If you can play his game without involving her, do that for as long as you can. He might just be testing what he can get away with.”

“One of these days, someone’s going to call you on your optimistic bullshit.”

“Well, until then, you’re stuck with it.”


	5. A Change

Kagome stood next to her window, looking down at the traffic below. The foot traffic had all but disappeared, most people having already been at work for a couple hours. The street was steady, cars moving at decent speeds as they continued on their way. It was that weird time of day where the restless energy said it was time for lunch, but the clock insisted it was still morning.

The miko had been staring out the wall of glass for about twenty minutes. The first meeting of the morning had given her feedback on a few of the designs, specifically the packaging. As soon as the meeting ended, she poured herself over her desk; redrafting and fixing the issues that had come up. At least trying to fix them. Half an hour of failed attempts and scrapped ideas left her desk in a mess and her mind restless.

A car stopped at the curb on the other side of the street just as she heard her office door open. The wave of calm youki that washed over her told her exactly who it was and she remained still as she watched the car driver exit the vehicle and walk around to open the back seat. The door closed on a soft click as the driver helped a well-dressed, older woman climb out of the car.

As if on cue, soft footfalls travelling to her desk aligned with the movement of the woman’s small heels as she allowed herself to be escorted into the other building. She knew he was allowing sound for her sake, wanting her to be very aware of his presence in her office.

He must have known she was restless, must have felt her unsettled reiki battering out in pulses at the stationary walls surrounding her desk. The two years of freelancing had spoiled her. Whenever her space got too small, the silence of her work too oppressing, she had the freedom to run. Working at home gave her the freedom to leave, put down her work and walk away from it all for just a bit of time.

Now, she had a desk job. She had a schedule she couldn’t overthrow simply because her hormones were going crazy.

“Miko.”

The word traveled through imaginary distance between them, sinking through layers of tension and stress. It brought her back to a time when the cool timbre of his baritone was all she needed, when the dance of his youki against her skin was all she wanted. The word still held comfort, still calmed her anxiety, but rather than golden eyes piercing through her mind, she was struck with the blue of the sky.

How things have changed.

“Come.”

The simple command had her turning, pivoting on her heel to find him standing in front of her desk. His jacket and tie were gone, the top buttons of his shirt undone to reveal the carved, pale throat beneath. His shoulders were relaxed, covered in silver hair cascading from his temple as his hands sat in the pockets of his slacks. He met her gaze briefly before turning and heading toward the door. He paused after opening it, his chin barely turning as he waited for her to follow.

Kagome blew out a silent breath, reaching out to grab her purse.

“Leave it.”

She raised an eyebrow at his back, weighing her options. They had gotten along well since her first day and she was hesitant to start her second week off on a bad foot. She decided to listen to him and instead just grabbed her phone before following him and closing the door behind her.

He led her down the hallway to the elevator in silence and when the doors closed them off from the rest of the building, she braced herself for whatever conversation had been running through his mind. It never came. The silence continued as the elevator moved down to the garage below the foyer. His youki remained though, rolling over her in soothing waves.

They learned of the benefits of this action long ago. Too much energy coursing through her, too many thoughts running through her mind, and she would need an outlet, she would need _something_ to do. Sesshomaru’s wealth of youki was that something to fight, to anchor on in times that she wasn’t able to escape and work out her frustrations herself.

The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Kagome looked up at the daiyoukai, waiting for an answer to all the unspoken questions. She wasn’t expecting to find him watching her and their gazes met for a moment before he was turning away and moving out into the garage.

She slowed as he fished a keychain out of his pocket, the lights of a sleek, black Audi flashing when a claw carefully tapped a button. He continued, ignoring her hesitation, and opened the passenger door. When he turned back to her, expectation written all over his face for her to get in, she almost stopped completely. The pulse of his youki kept her moving until she was next to him, her palm resting on the top of the car as her foot hesitated stepping in.

She must have paused too long. His youki pulsed once more, a sharp edge showing his displeasure. She felt more than heard the rumble emanate from the base of his throat and pure defiance had her dropping her heel back onto the asphalt, blue eyes turning sharply to stare up at him.

“You are not productive like this.”

Her chin jerked. “And how is this supposed to help?”

“Get in.”

Even through the harsh tone, the glare set on his face, his demeanor remained the same. He was still the comforting presence that appeared in her office. He must have done that on purpose, as it was the only reason she snorted in response and slowly lowered herself into the seat.

The door was closed on her and a few breaths later had him sliding into the driver’s seat. The car was built for luxury, the engine barely making a sound as it came to life. He drove smoothly, graceful turns in the small area until they were turning onto the road and into moving traffic.

A tap on the steering wheel turned on the radio and Kagome bit back a laugh. Some things never change. The violins moving beneath the long Latin phrases filled the car, acting as a soft background to the view of city traffic and advertisement. A few traffic lights and then they were on the freeway, weaving through cars as they gained speed, the view of the city opening up to her.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, the distraction helped. As the voices hit their forte, the violins continuing their dance with the rest of the orchestra, she relaxed back into the leather of her seat, allowing her aura to flood out into the car. Funny, how a song of judgment in a mass for the dead would be soothing to her.

Her reiki crackled against his youki, the errant pulses skittering over her skin where they touched. It was a dance long forgotten, one she had shoved in deep memories when she had ended that part of her life. She had found other outlets, other routines to calm her down when her hormones spiked, and they had worked well.

She had forgotten all about it with the start of this new job.

“I was distracting you, wasn’t I?” she murmured, not moving her gaze from the window. It made sense; the daiyoukai was far too disciplined to take a break during the day solely for her sake.

“I had forgotten this about you,” came his response, one that surprised her. She kept her eyes on the view, though, giving him silence. Her knowledge of him told her there was more he had to say. “I had also forgotten how annoying it could be.”

She couldn’t help her low chuckle, remembering how aggravated her restlessness used to make him. He was always so poised, so in control that the spasms of her emotions and aura would dig its way under his skin and provoke harsh reactions.

“I apologize for the inconvenience,” she teased, daring to turn and smile in his direction. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

A raised eyebrow and a curt glance her way had her laughing. Her sarcasm would aggravate him just as much as her restlessness. The banter felt good; enough years had passed to have them on equal footing.

He turned off the freeway, taking an exit she was familiar with. Minutes later, the car was pulling off the road, finding a parking spot in the sparse lot. He was out of car before she could say anything, closing the door and locking it. Kagome pulled on the door handle and found it locked. The bastard must have hit the child lock on the door. Her phone buzzed in her lap.

“ _Stay._ ”

Deep down, she would be lying if she claimed to be surprised. She had hit a nerve earlier, distracting him from his work without his permission. However, that didn’t mean she appreciated the order. Her fingers flew over the screen, sending her reply instantly.

“ _I’m not a dog._ ”

She didn’t get a reply.

Luckily, the miko didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes went by before Sesshomaru was opening the door and sliding back into the car, handing her a white cup with the tab of a tea bag sticking out. His own cup was set down in the cup holder, and then the car was moving, turning onto the street and heading back to the freeway.

The heat seeped through the cup into her hands as she held it, lifting it to her chin to breathe in the aroma. This locally owned bakery had some of the best tea in town. She rarely visited, having learned of it through the daiyoukai currently driving.

“Thank you,” she murmured, breathing in the smell once more. As much as she was dying to taste, she knew it was best to give the tea time to seep and wait until they returned to the office.

The ride back was quiet, the music continuing through the rest of the requiem, having moved on to major keys. The return of his youki in the car continued it’s soothing rhythm and before long, they were pulling back into the garage hidden underneath his empire.

Silence followed them into the elevator and onto the correct floor. Kagome ignored the almost-subtle glances from the receptionist and quickly followed Sesshomaru down the hallway. She half expected him to continue down to his, but spared him a look as she allowed him to show her back into her office.

She ignored her previous perch at the window, instead choosing to take a seat at her desk. Taking a sip of her tea, she felt the warmth spread down her torso as she settled into the chair.

A claw tapped one of the drafts on her desk. “This one.” And with that, the daiyoukai was gone.

***

“Hey, Kagome.”

The miko looked up from her computer screen to see Rin in the doorway.

“I’m thinking of going to the deli for lunch. Want to come?”

“Sure!” It didn’t take long to decide that. “Let me finish this real quick?”

“Of course. Just find me when you’re ready.”

A few minutes later, Kagome saved her documents and put her desk into some semblance of order. The tea break and Sesshomaru’s input had made the project easier, having her focus on one direction instead of five. She grabbed her wallet from her purse and slipped out of her office.

Rin’s office across from her was empty, so she followed the voices down the hall. Kagome peered around the open door into Sesshomaru’s office to find Rin leaning over him to tap a few keys on the computer.

“Ready?”

Rin shot up, flashing Kagome a smile as she continued her explanation. The daiyoukai’s gaze flitted once from his valuable assistant to Kagome before retuning to Rin.

“Getting lunch?”

“Yeah, we’re going to run down to the deli. Do you want anything?”

The miko leaned against the doorjamb, observing the interaction in front of her. There was nothing about Rin that was nervous around the powerful youkai. She seemed perfectly at ease.

“Hn.”

“Alright, we’ll be back in an hour.” The woman gracefully moved around his desk and out into the hallway. Kagome followed her down to grab her purse and they continued to the elevator.

“How long have you worked here?” Kagome asked as they waited for the elevator to appear.

“About five years,” Rin answered, digging through her purse. She pulled out her phone and checked the screen before dropping it back in. “I started as a receptionist down in the main foyer, then worked my way up. I’ve been working in my current position for a little over three years.”

The elevator opened and the two stepped inside.

“You like it?”

Rin threw a smile at the miko, obviously catching the underlying question. “Absolutely love it. It’s such a rewarding position to be able to see what comes from all of our hard work.”

The trip down was quick and soon the two women were out onto the street.

“How long have you known Mr. Taisho?”

Kagome glanced over at Rin, half-surprised at the question.

“You’re more comfortable around him than most people that work in this building and he treats you as if he’s known you for years,” she explained, having seen the expression on the miko’s face.

“Yeah, I guess that would raise some questions,” Kagome conceded. “I’ve known him for about six years, maybe seven.”

“Oh?”

“My mother lives on a shrine with my grandfather and the Taisho family was setting up a formal visit. I met Inuyasha through that and we became close friends.” She paused, hesitating to tell her anything beyond that.

The two arrived at the deli and entered, quickly joining the short line. They were taking a slightly late lunch and had missed the rush from the rest of the city.

“Who was that handsome man in the office last week?” Rin asked, her eyes dancing.

Kagome felt her cheeks blush. She hadn’t known Rin was there when Kouga showed up. “That’s my boyfriend, Kouga.”

“How long have you been dating?”

“Not long, a couple weeks. I’ve known him for years, but the dating part is a recent development.”

“What does he do?”

“Teaches history at the high school.”

Rin’s turn came up and soon, the women were waiting for their orders to be finished. “How did you two meet?”

“Twenty questions, already?” Kagome teased.

Rin had the grace to blush, taking a drink from her water to buy her some time. “Sorry. I have a bad habit of talking too much at times.”

“I don’t mind,” the miko reassured. “He was one of my TAs in college.” Rin’s eyebrows shot up to her bangs and Kagome giggled. “Nothing like that! I mean, yeah, he was hot and I would have been interested, but he was a TA! I wasn’t going to do anything while in his class.”

“Yeah, but after!”

Kagome let out a hearty laugh, thoroughly amused by the bond she had made with Rin. It was nice to have someone to talk to in such a professional office. “He didn’t seem interested and then I was dating someone.”

Their orders came up and the two were soon on their way back to the office. “That’s neat, though,” Rin stated, “how it all came around.”

Kagome snorted. “My best friend wouldn’t leave it alone. After a while, I could have sworn she was creating events just to push us together.”

“Must have worked?”

“It did,” she agreed, smiling.

“Are you two serious?”

Kagome paused, mulling over the question in her mind.

Rin picked up on her hesitation and quickly interrupted her thoughts. “Sorry, that was rude of me. You said you’ve only been dating a couple weeks; it might be too soon.”

“Yeah, but…” Kagome stopped, looking up as they entered the building. “I think it is serious.”

Rin considered the miko lost in thought as they waited for the elevator. Things around the office were about to get really interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I KNOW. It's taking FOREVER to get the back story going. I'm sorry. I know it's frustrating that it keeps getting mentioned with no information, but I promise you, it's coming.


	6. A Scent

For the fifth time that morning, Kouga stared at the blank screen on his phone before shoving it back into the pocket of his slacks. His students were currently huddled into two groups, each putting together opposing sides of their argument over the benefits of Western exploration. It was always his favorite part of the class, pitting the students against each other to use their own critical thinking to prove the benefits of their side.

Instead of watching the typically hysterical masterpiece unfold, he was checking his phone every few seconds like a love-struck cub.

He hadn’t heard from Kagome yet this morning. And he hadn’t seen her since he left her apartment Monday morning. Which was two days ago. Not that he was counting.

Nope. Kouga Takiyama was not counting the moments since he last talked to his girlfriend. Since he last heard her voice. Since he last saw her beautiful, bright blue eyes. Since he last put his nose to the curve of her neck and drank in the sweet aroma of her scent. He wasn’t thinking about any of that.

And he _definitely_ was not concentrating on the simple fact that it had been two days since he last saw her eyes roll back in pleasure. Since he last felt her nails sink into the skin on his shoulders. Since he last heard his name leave her luscious lips on a broken, throaty gasp. Since he last felt her tight, wet, feminine muscles clench in orgasm around his aching co–

The stirrings in his pants told him that his _not thinking about that_ wasn’t working.

He blew out a sigh as he found himself checking the phone. They had set an unspoken routine; the one who received the last text the night before was the one who sent the first text of the morning. He had been up late getting his students’ current assignment finalized. As much as he wanted to hear from her, he was hesitant to break their routine.

The ookami ran a hand over his face before looking over his classroom, trying to distract himself. Unfortunately, this batch of students actually possessed half a brain, so they were legitimately working.

Nothing was there to distract Kouga from the ever-growing realization that he was falling for his little miko. _Hard._ That little vixen had wormed her way so far under his skin, all he wanted to do was gather her in his arms and keep her by his side at all times.

Of course, he couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t _want_ him to do that. And, if he were honest with himself, that’s what he liked about her. He liked her independence and he wanted her to keep it. He wanted her to have all the space she needed.

That didn’t help when he found himself staring at the screen of his phone – _again_.

He was about to toss the wretched device in the bottom drawer of his desk and lock it inside when the small piece vibrated in his hand. The flash of her name on the screen had him rethinking all murderous thoughts and with a swipe of his thumb, he was opening her text.

“ _Morning! I slept through my alarm and am just now getting settled at work. Sorry I didn’t text earlier!_ ”

He couldn’t even bother to care that he was smiling so wide his fangs were poking out. “ _Morning! You don’t have to apologize._ ”

He smiled down at his screen for a moment before shoving it in his pocket at the sound of his last name. Walking over to one of groups, he forced himself to ignore the buzz against the top of his thigh as he answered their questions. As soon as he was back at his desk, his phone was in his hand.

“ _Souta has a soccer game tonight. Starts at 7 at the university. Wanna come?_ ”

Now he really couldn’t help his smile. Looks like he was going to get to see his miko tonight after all. “ _Sounds fun. Since you’re on the way, I’ll pick up when I head out there._ ”

No way he was going to let her drive over there by herself, especially when picking her up gave him the chance to leave his scent imprint in her office again.

“ _I’d try to argue, but I think that would be a waste of time._ ”

“ _No sense in taking two cars if they happen to charge for parking._ ” He studied the sentence for a moment before sending it. Technically, it was a truth.

“ _Or are you just trying to see how many pieces of clothing you can convince me take off in your car?_ ”

Kouga’s eyes widened at the sentence. The thought of getting her naked in his car like they were rebellious cubs hadn’t even been a thought, but hell if he couldn’t get rid of that mental image now. There was enough room in his car to slide his seat back and have her sitting in his lap, grinding that luscious ass on his cock before spreading those slick folds and sliding–

The sound of his name had him suddenly remembering exactly where he was and exactly where his thoughts should _not_ be heading.

By the time he got back to his desk, he had managed to think of a reply. “ _I’d make it worth your time._ ”

The response was quick. “ _Mmmm. Don’t I know it._ ” She didn’t even give him time to type back before he got the next message. “ _Swing by the house and pick up some comfy clothes for me?_ ”

He loved the growing selection of possessions she was leaving at his house. “ _Sure. I’ll be there around 5._ ”

“ _Oh – I should warn you, my mom will be there. See you then!_ ”

Kouga didn’t even feel the phone slip out of his hands, bounce off his thigh, and then slide down his pant leg onto the floor. He blinked at his empty hands, allowing those words to sink in. It being her brother’s soccer game hadn’t even fully hit. To then realize he was going to be meeting her _mother_?

And he had been explicitly visualizing all the dirty things he was going to do to her naked body in his car after the game?

Fuck.

***

“ _Running a little late. You can come up and wait if you want._ ”

Kouga read through that text one more time as he traveled up the elevator, a small bundle of clothes in his hand. Kagome had sent it to him just as he was pulling up to the building and he had to fight back a smile. After the events that happened last week, there was no way he wasn’t going to find his way to her office today.

When he got off the elevator, he was greeted with a new scent, one intricately laced with his miko. It made him pause, sorting out what exactly it was. As soon as he realized why he smelled blood, he drank in the change. Following the scent down the hallway, he peered around the open door of her office to find her sitting behind her desk at her computer, happily tapping away at the keys.

Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was standing just over her shoulder, watching her movements on the computer. Swallowing a rumble, he stepped into the doorway, leaning against the jamb before rapping his knuckle against the wood. Those bright blue eyes flew to him in surprise, then her face split into a wide smile.

He purposefully ignored the cold gaze from the daiyoukai standing behind her.

She tapped a few more keys before turning in her chair, hopping out and heading around her desk to see him. He felt his smile grow as she drew closer, opening his arms to fold her into a quick embrace. He dipped his head to capture her lips in a hard, short kiss before nuzzling into the curve of her neck.

“Hi,” she said, her breath puffing over his ear, taking her clothes from him.

“Hi yourself,” he murmured. “You smell _amazing_.”

She pulled back from him, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Why–” Her eyes flew wide, her speech stopping immediately as a blush flew up her face. She turned from him instantly, moving to reach her desk in quick steps before snatching her purse up and practically running out the door. “Be right back!”

He smiled after her, unable to keep his gaze from drifting down her back. She really did have a wonderful ass. A wave of youki pulsing lightly across the room had his smile fading and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he turned back, finally looking at the inu in the room.

With only his miko in mind, Kouga spoke past his distaste. “How is the project going?”

“Well, thanks to Ms. Higurashi.” The daiyoukai made no attempt at hiding his displeasure in his cold tone.

“She likes working on it,” Kouga replied, finding it easier to talk if it was about Kagome. “Still getting used to working in an office, though.”

Gold eyes narrowed and the ookami was certain that the conversation was done. The two had very little to say to each other and he was finding it harder and harder to ignore the lingering scent of the other youkai. The sound of a door closing reached their ears and Kouga found himself looking out, seeing her emerge from the restroom, blush still firmly planted on her cheeks. She was utterly adorable.

“Sorry,” she murmured as she got closer, her gaze anywhere but meeting his.

A soft laugh escaped him as he pulled her close, tilting her chin up with his finger. “I wasn’t lying,” he said, smiling as her blush deepened. That youki pulsed again and he fought back a growl. “How much longer do you have?”

“Not long. We should be ready to go within ten minutes,” she answered, stepping into the office. “You mind waiting?”

“Not at all.” This time he followed her, deciding to make himself comfortable in one of the chairs across from her, intent on see how they interacted.

To his aggravation, the two worked well together. They seemed to know what to say as whatever was happening on the screen worked out. He forced himself to calm down as he watched her, finding contentment to simply just study her as she worked.

Before long, the tapping of keys slowed and their conversation was wrapping up. Kagome reached over and turned off her monitor before turning the chair to look up at the daiyoukai.

“Sit on it over night and see what we think in the morning?” she asked, her fingers tapping on the desk. Judging from the quick glance down, Kouga realized that her little trait annoyed Sesshomaru, making the ookami smirk. He found the restless tell endearing.

Kagome waited for Sesshomaru to give a curt nod before she was unfolding herself from the chair and turning back to Kouga. “I’m going to go change and then we can be on our way.”

Kouga watched her exit before slowly turning back to meet cold golden eyes, only to find them following the miko out of the office as well. Sesshomaru’s eyes closed for a moment and the soft inhale of air hit the ookami’s ears. A growl forced its way out of his throat at the realization, not at all liking the idea of the daiyoukai savoring his girlfriend’s intoxicating scent.

The eyes opened at the growl, the line of his jaw tightening as the two glared at each other. “Have something to say, Ookami?”

He bit his tongue, knowing Kagome wouldn’t appreciate a fight.

Sesshomaru sneered at his silence. He looked up at the sound of a door and began walking out of the office. “I hope you’re enjoying the fruits of my labor.”

Kouga’s snarl came out before he could realize it, that single sentence sending his instincts in overdrive. He didn’t turn, instead focusing on the view out the window to bring his body back under control. Bad enough he didn’t remain civil in the building; it would be even worse if she found out.

“Ready?”

All the tension flew from his body at the sound of her voice. No matter how Sesshomaru acted, she was his and his alone. That single thought sent his heart soaring. With a genuine smile on his face, he turned to find Kagome standing in the clothes he brought her – a simple pair of well-worn jeans and one of his t-shirts.

“You look downright edible,” he murmured, not bothering to hide the sweep of his gaze down her form. He really did like seeing her in his clothing.

“I guess that’s a good thing because I sure don’t feel like it.” Her tone had him looking at her face, seeing the exhaustion seep into her features.

He went to her at that, wrapping her in his arms as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Rough day?”

“Long,” she corrected. “This entire week has been long. I think I’ve redrafted just about everything I’ve worked on since I took on this contract.”

“Something wrong with them, or did things change?” he asked, pulling back to look down at her.

“Changes, mostly.” She searched his gaze, looking for something as her features softened. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“I know the feeling,” he murmured, remembering all too well his turmoil that morning. “You still up for the game? I don’t mind taking a rain check.”

“No, I want to go. I’ll feel better as soon as I’m outside.” She paused, a sly smile crossing her face. “You’re not getting out of meeting my family that easily.”

Her teasing made him laugh. “And here I thought I could convince you to let me bring you to bed.”

A multitude of emotions flitted across her face; amusement, interest, finally landing on disappointment. “I’m sorry I won’t be much fun.”

The regret in her voice had him nuzzling into the curve of her neck. “It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize. I’m not going to push you into anything you don’t want.” He pressed a kiss to her skin before nipping it softly. “No matter how tempting your scent is.”

A soft giggle escaped her at his flirting. “You don’t mind not doing anything tonight?”

“Of course not,” he answered, concern tracing through his voice. “You’re the one bleeding; your comfort comes first.” A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Do you want to stay over tonight? I will resort to bribing you with promises of coffee.”

One eyebrow rose as she poked his chest with her finger. “You better keep those promises.”

“Always.”


	7. A Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap this took _for-ev-er_. Sorry about that. It fought me tooth and nail the entire way. Hope it's good enough to make up for some of the wait!

By the time the two arrived at the university, Kagome was biting her tongue to hold back a fit of laughter. As soon as the doors closed and the car was turned on, Kouga’s entire aura shifted, radiating a growing anxiety the longer they drove. She could almost see the wheels in his head turning, creating all the worst-case scenarios that could possibly happen.

Rather than soothe his nerves, she remained silent, curious to see how far it would actually go. The wait was rewarded; if he held that steering wheel any tighter, he was going to rip it off.

She waited for them to find the field, pulling into one of the parking spots and watched him slowly turn off the car. If she looked closely enough, his fingers were shaking and she was pretty certain he hadn’t blinked the entire trip. She had never seen him this nervous. She unbuckled her seat belt, grabbed her wallet and hopped out of the car, only to look back and see him frozen in his seat. Smiling, the miko went around the car and pulled open his door.

“Kouga,” she murmured, not fighting back the smile when he about jumped out of his skin to look at her. “It’s going to be just fine.”

His jaw clenched, neck shifting as she saw him swallow. Taking pity, she reached out, cupping his cheek in her hand. Angling his head down to meet hers, she pressed her lips to his. The moment they touched, something in him snapped. His hands shot out, one palming her head as the other snuck around her back and hauled her off her feet. Pure youkai strength held her against him, bending and molding her to fit along the length of his body.

His kiss was demanding and she fought back, refusing to submit to the lashings of his tongue. Hands gripped his shoulders, fingers itching to tangle in his hair, but she resisted, not wanting to ruin his ponytail. Instead, they delved into muscle, clenching over sinewy strength as she swept her tongue into his mouth, tasting his own, testing his fangs.

A jerk from one of them – she was too far gone to know who – at the wrong moment and his fang pierced her. Acute pain hit as she heard him groan, low, husky, needy. His hands tightened on her waist and he sucked, drawing out the coppery taste of her blood into his mouth. His youki crackled over her, bursting out from him in a blast she hadn’t felt from him before and his body shuddered against her as he kept up his ministrations on her mouth.

She felt those fangs lengthen, his claws sharpen, and knew she had to pull away. Slowly, she extracted her tongue from his mouth, allowing him a few last pulls as she retreated, taming the kiss back from its previous ferocity. When her lips left his, he broke, nose burrowing into the curve of her shoulder, arms fully engulfing her frame.

Kagome stayed close, moving her hands up and down what she could reach of his chest. His harsh panting over her neck calmed, idly moving toward the normal rhythm of his breaths. She felt it when he regained control, the tension in his shoulders leaving, the powerful youki drawing back into him. She moved her arms, reaching around his neck to slowly trace her fingertips over the base of his skull.

“I’m sorry,” he rasped, his lips moving against her skin as he spoke. “You smell so good and then to _taste_ –” His words broke off as another shudder wracked down his spine.

She continued her soft massage over his hair, allowing him time to return. “I’m sorry for fighting you,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the skin available to her just past his pointed ear.

“You can fight me like that any time you want.”

She smiled. The teasing lilt was back in his voice, dancing over the rasp of leftover desire. “Come on,” she urged. “We should find a seat before the game starts.”

He nuzzled once into her neck, pressing a soft kiss over her pulse before releasing her. She stepped back to see the final bits of crimson leave his eyes as he glanced over to the field entrance. His face morphed, the line of his jaw hardening slightly.

“Kouga.”

His eyes flew back to hers.

“My mother will love you.”

A telling heartbeat, and then his cocky smile was back on his lips, revealing that hint of fang. “Of course she will. How could she not?”

Despite his bravado, he followed her to the field with wide eyes and stiff shoulders. Being nervous was new to him. He was an Alpha, an established one, and had met his fair share of intimidating figures. He looked down at his miko, drawing comfort from the soothing aura she was radiating. Even with the added tension of her period, she was focused on calming him down.

No wonder impressing her mother meant so much to him. He never wanted to lose her.

“Kagome!”

Kouga followed his miko’s gaze up to see an older woman standing in the seats waving down at them. She was taller with short brown hair and while he could see a resemblance between the two, Kagome must have taken after her father. He followed her up the steps, catching himself from watching her hips move back and forth as she moved.

The ookami really did not want to be caught checking out her ass in front of her mother. He had a feeling it wouldn’t make for a good introduction.

He watched as the two greeted, her mother engulfing Kagome in a hug and saying hello before politely turning toward him. It took every ounce of control to keep from bouncing between each foot in anticipation. 

“Mama, this is my boyfriend, Kouga.”

He held out a hand in greeting, only to be taken by surprise as the older woman ignored it and pulled him into a hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Kouga,” she said, stepping back. “I’m Yumi.”

Yumi gave him a welcoming smile that was identical to Kagome’s and he suddenly felt right at home.

 ***

“How was that not offside?” Kouga asked in absolute confusion as the players on the field took position for a goal kick.

“The striker wasn’t past the defender when the ball was kicked,” Kagome answered easily, eyes never leaving the field as the goalie launched the ball down the field.

Kouga sat there, trying to make sense of what he just heard and coming up short. “What?”

“Kagome, switch seats with Kouga.”

A sigh paired with a pointed look later, Kouga found himself gratefully sandwiched between the two Higurashi women. It became very apparent that while Kagome was talented in many things, teaching was not one of them.

“Offside is based on where the players are positioned before the ball is in play,” Yumi explained. “The forward was onside when the ball was kicked, so he’s not punished for being faster than the defenders.”

That made a bit more sense.

The two fell in a good rhythm, Yumi patiently explaining the ins and outs of the sport. By halftime, Kouga felt comfortable around the woman, having no issues continuing their conversations.

“So how did you two meet?”

“I was one of her TAs,” he answered easily, smiling at the memory of Kagome entering his class. He had done so well to not form attachments to students, then she walked into his classroom and ruined his record.

“You teach history?”

Kouga cocked his head, intrigued as to how she knew that. “Yeah?”

“So you’re the hot history TA Kagome had a huge crush on?”

“ _Mama!_ ”

A stunned ookami turned to look at his embarrassed girlfriend, absolutely shocked at what he just heard. “You had a crush on me?”

A blush flew up her cheeks. “Every other girl in that class did.”

“I wasn’t interested in every other girl.” The words flew out before he realized what he was saying. He felt his cheeks burn and turned to the field to watch the refs return to the grass.

“You…”

“Yeah, but not like I could do anything while you were in my class,” he bit out. “By the time I saw you after the semester ended, you were with that kid that followed you around like a lost cub.”

“I only went with Hojo because you never showed any interest!”

The argument was broken by Yumi’s ringing laughter. Both ookami and miko turned toward the woman, their slight aggravation at her mirth slowly shifting to amusement. Before long, the three of them were laughing together over the past misunderstanding.

“What happened after that?” Ms. Higurashi asked when the laughter subsided.

“Nothing, really,” Kouga answered. “I graduated and went back to my teaching position while she finished out her degree. We had mutual friends, and after they all graduated, we started hanging out more.”

“And neither one of you knew you both had crushes on the other?”

He could hear where Kagome got her teasing from. “I guess not.” He spared a glance at the quiet miko next to him, blush still staining her cheeks. Wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close, he pressed a kiss to her hair before drawing in a deep, soothing breath filled with her scent. “I’m glad we figured it out.”

 ***

Kagome had been quiet for the entire car ride home from the game. There had been some talk about getting her car, but Kouga insisted on taking her to work the next morning. She was too tired, her exhaustion showing in every part of her features and Kouga didn’t want to chance her driving like that. After that conversation, they had driven in silence, her hand cradled in his when he wasn’t shifting gears.

It had been nice to meet her family after the initial panic attacks. Souta definitely took after his mother; the two were nearly spitting images of each other. However, he was able to see a lot of Kagome’s traits in Yumi. They really seemed like a close family.

He pulled into his garage and the two made their way into the house. He followed Kagome to his bedroom, eager to crawl into bed with her. While it wasn’t too late, Kouga found he really just wanted to curl around her and quietly end the day.

So it came as a complete surprise when she grabbed his shirt and pushed him onto the bed, dropping down to her knees in between his thighs. Those hands were on his jeans, unsnapping the button and tearing down the zipper before he realized what was going on. A quick sniff told him he hadn’t missed anything. While her actions were appreciated, there was no arousal in her scent.

Unfortunately, his cock didn’t listen and sprang to life under her ministrations.

“Kagome,” he protested, pushing himself up to look down at her. She ignored him, much to his confusion, and shimmied the denim down his legs. “Kagome.” Again, ignored. One hand gripped him through the cotton of his boxer briefs, gliding up and down the hard length.

When something akin to dread hit his nose, he knew he had to put a stop to this.

His hands went to her shoulders, holding her back away from his lap. When he felt her struggle, he slid up her neck, carefully cupping her jaw to tilt her gaze up at him. Exhausted blue eyes met his gaze and he leaned forward, guarding his hips with his chest. “Kagome, what are you doing?”

An eyebrow rose and he hastily changed his words.

“I mean you’re not into this. You said earlier nothing would happen. So why are you forcing yourself to do something you obviously aren’t into?” His voice was soft, genuinely wanting answers no matter what the appendage between his thighs was doing.

“Well, you want it.” While technically a statement, the inflection of her tone morphed the phrase into a question. However, a pointed look at his lap helped make her point.

“Not if you don’t want to do it, I don’t,” he answered. “As much as I love your mouth on me, it’s not worth it if all you really want to do is crawl into bed and sleep.”

Her eyes widened as shock mixed with relief crossed her face. The woman was a mystery at times.

“I told you earlier, I’m not doing anything you don’t want to do, and you don’t want to do this.” Slowly, his hands left her face and traveled down her shoulders, urging her to stand to her feet. He rose with her, pulling her toward his chest and tucking her head underneath his chin. They stood there for a few moments before the question battering around his mind forced its way to his tongue. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why force yourself?”

Her arms wrapped around him and a breath left her, releasing the tension that had knotted up her back. “Because you’re forced to deal with the scent of my blood.”

Her tone confused him as much as her words did. It wavered, holding all sorts of insecurity he wasn’t used to hearing from her. “I have a feeling I’m going to regret asking, but what does that have anything to do with this?”

She took in a breath and slowly pulled back, only far enough to look up at him. “I was taught that since it’s my blood attacking your senses, it’s my responsibility to satisfy your needs.”

Kouga stared down at her for a moment, those words taking their time to sink in. As soon as they did, his response was instant. “That asshole made you feel guilty because he couldn’t control his cock around your scent?!” The words barely made it out of his throat, riding along a rumbling growl he couldn’t hold back. Immediately, he pulled her back to him, this time burying his nose in the curve of her neck.

“He didn’t make me feel guilty,” she murmured. He forced himself to breath and found that while she wasn’t outright lying, she wasn’t being completely honest either. “I mean, he didn’t guilt me into doing anything. He…”

It was one of the hardest things Kouga did that day, but he sank his teeth into his tongue and remained silent, waiting out the rest of that thought.

A sigh blew out. “He simply exercised his control.”

“ _What_ _control_.” Dammit. He wasn’t trying to snarl at her.

Her shoulders stiffened and he instantly felt like an ass. “Kouga, trust me when I say that you don’t want to hear the answer to that right now.”

He remained quiet again, taking in her words. She was right; he didn’t want to hear anything else concerning the daiyoukai and the past… _relationship_ his miko had. But when that history was butting into their current relationship? Answers or not, some things had to be said.

Pulling back, he looked down in those beautiful eyes and gently brushed her hair behind her ear. “No matter what happened, what he did, or what he taught you, you are _not_ responsible for satisfying my needs.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “The only thing you are responsible for right now is taking care of yourself.”

He saw her eyes flicker down to his hips and mentally cursed his half-hard dick that still hadn’t gotten the message.

“Ignore that,” he teased, hoping to bring some lightness to the conversation. “You’re exhausted, so I’m not having you do anything but get in that bed and fall asleep. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t take care of the woman I–”

Love.

Holy fuck.

He _loved_ her. And he almost just spat it right out there. Without even thinking about it. Without even realizing it. He almost just threw that word out there without any preparation, without any forethought. Had there even been enough time to fall in love with her?

Stupid question. He had been around humans too long. Having known her for years was enough time for the wolf in him to have fallen. Dating this woman for two and a half weeks? No wonder it smacked him upside the face.

A poke to his side pulled him out of his thoughts and he realized he had been staring at her, mouth wide open as thoughts of love danced in front of his eyes. A breath told him his girlfriend was confused. “Kouga?”

Ignoring her question, ignoring his unfinished sentence, he bent down to capture her lips with his. A hand cupped her head, angling her into him as he coaxed her lips in a soft, slow kiss. When he pulled back, he smiled at the expression on her face; half-lidded eyes, parted lips, a slight flush to her cheeks.

“Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

Within ten minutes, he had her snuggled in his arms underneath his sheets, his steady heartbeat lulling her to sleep.


	8. An Answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. It's been so long. My muse disappeared without a trace and still hasn't returned. I struggled through this chapter with the hope that she'll come back soon. I barely read through this, so please forgive any mistakes.
> 
> I hope you like it. We're getting places!

Like most mornings on her period, Kagome woke up aroused, restless, and wanting. _Unlike_ those mornings, she also woke up to a hot, heavy, _deliciously_ hard length undulating against her rear. _Everything_ throbbed in response, tingling spasms bursting from her core and washing over the expanse of skin exposed from her twisted shirt. That rod pressed further against her, turning her over as the large body behind her followed. Hips rolled against her cheeks, one thigh pressed between her legs, lips caressed her neck–

“ _Fuck._ ”

The body vanished. Her eyes flew open in time to see Kouga stalking to the bathroom, muscles pulled taut from tension rippling over his back. The door closed a little louder than she assumed he intended and within seconds, the shower was running.

The miko stared at the closed door, her body thrumming in arousal. She was torn, wondering if going after him was a good idea. When a soft, low groan escaped the bathroom, the decision was made for her and she couldn’t ignore it any longer. She shot off the bed and followed his path, quietly opening the door and peering inside.

She trembled. Through the cloudy glass of the shower door she could make out his figure, standing under the spray of the water as telling motions around his hips spoke of the explicit things his hand was doing. She pulled the door closed, careful to keep the latch silent, and quickly stripped off her clothes.

She was too aroused to think about what removing her tampon would do.

He groaned immediately and she watched his head toss back, hips now moving against his hand. Kagome couldn’t even stop to think. She grasped the shower door and slid it open, her eyes locked on the sight before her. The long line of his neck was arched, water trailed over his shoulders and down his hard chest, droplets following the lines of his abdomen, then she lost thought all together.

The large, strong hand that had aroused her so many times was fisted around the base of the long, thick cock that had pounded so much pleasure into her.

She ignored the sudden blast of water when she stepped in the shower, she dismissed the small sparks of pain when she dropped to her knees, and she didn’t even notice those eyes open and look down at her in a mix of desperate need and tortured agony. Her mind was filled with the heat of his body, the texture of his skin, the taste of his arousal. Her lips descended, stroking over and down until she met his hand.

It wasn’t enough.

She tugged his hand away and continued, forcing her throat to relax. She felt his tip pop over the initial resistance and then her nose was pressed against the soft hair on his skin. His groans morphed into words, her name leaving his throat in a broken, raspy gasp. She wanted to see him, wanted to watch him watch her. A slight shift in angle and she was peering up, past the stark muscles, over the chiseled jaw line to a hungry, hard gaze. She swallowed around his length, tightened around the intrusion in her throat, and his eyes shut, nostrils flared, lips parted to groan out his pleasure.

When she finally needed air, she pulled back, pursing her lips around his girth as she went. His hands went to her hair, digging in through the now-wet strands and she was pulled back onto him. Deciding to offer him more than she had previously, she kept her mouth closed, waiting for him to meet her gaze.

When he finally did, she couldn’t help the shiver of anticipation that traveled down her spine.

“This,” she purposefully dug the nails of her right hand into his thigh, “means let go.”

His eyes widened. “Kagome?”

She found her hands with his and placed them on her scalp. “Do whatever you want until I do that.” Watching his throat work as he swallowed was the only warning she got until he was pushing her onto his length again.

His cock slid into her throat easier this time. It didn’t take her too long to remember how this worked, the easiest way to swallow him down. As soon as he was past her reflex, she could take advantage, her tongue stroking the underside, her muscles contracting around him. He groaned in appreciation and his hands fisted into her hair, pulling her even closer to him.

She thought she couldn’t get any more aroused than she already was, but when he immediately pulled her off of him as soon as her nails hit his skin, she _burned_.

Kagome was back on his cock immediately, thrusting him in and out of her throat repeatedly until he caught hint. His hands set the pace with long, deep strokes and the sounds coming out of him urged her further and further. That he was overly sensitive to her limit, actively pulling her off him before she could even apply pressure, urged her further and further.

She ignored the growing ache in her jaw and continued, seeking out subtle changes that brought out reactions; spots to stroke with her tongue that had him hissing out a breath, certain pressure that pulled a groan from his throat, nuzzling the soft fur-like hair at the base of his cock that had him cursing low and dirty thoughts. When his hips started moving in time with his hands, she preened.

“ _Kagome_.”

That was different and she quickly took him in, contracting around his length and pulling his hips toward her. She wanted him to lose control, wanted him to…well. If she were being crude, she wanted him to come down her throat and she was going to make that happen.

Kagome felt when he got there, his hips surging, his fists tightening, and the low, harsh, throaty _growl_ that resonated down his torso. His cock jerked, tensed, then throbbed, shooting his seed out and coating the walls of her throat. She forced herself to stay relaxed, nose buried against black hairs as she swallowed around him, drawing out everything he had. He shuddered above her, gasping out breaths and curses and staccato grunts of her name. When she slowly drew back from him, sucking along his thick length, he let out a throaty groan that went straight to her core.

She peered up at him, his blue eyes staring down at her as he panted. She caught her breath, then with a wicked thought traced her upper lip with her tongue. Hands were on her arms, she was yanked off her knees, and his mouth swallowed her yelp when her back was pressed against the cool tile on the wall.

His tongue invaded, plundering her mouth before he sucked her on her lip, those sharp fangs needling against the sensitive skin. His hands were on her hips, sliding her up the wall as his mouth trailed down her torso. It only took a second to realize his intention. She found she was too aroused to care.

Her legs were thrown over his shoulders as his hands adjusted their grip to her rear, holding her still against the shower wall. She watched as Kouga leaned in, pressing his nose to the top of her mound before breathing in. He shuddered under her legs and then his pink tongue parted her folds.

Moans from both of them echoed in the bathroom.

Knowing that watching would ruin this for her, she allowed her head to fall back against the wall, eyes closing as talented tongue and lips caressed every part of her slick folds, teasing her with light touches and soft licks. It was a surprise, how gentle he was being. She anticipated being devoured, dominated as he took what she knew his instincts were demanding. Instead, he was tender. 

No less arousing, though. When her hips started rocking in a silent plea for more, he gave it to her. His tongue thrust in, wriggling against contracting muscles as he stroked her. She matched his rhythm, grinding against his face as she felt the building tension in her core. She wasn’t going to last much longer.

When his lips found her clit and sucked, she didn’t last at all.

White-hot pleasure shot up in a burst as she cried out, her hand fisting his hair and her legs clamping around his head. She felt her head hit the wall from the arch of her back and his hands tightened around her cheeks as she quivered.

Slowly, the tension ebbed away. Her eyes opened and she turned her gaze down to see him staring up at her, blue eyes shining in pride, lust, and something else, something deeper. Something that shot straight to her heart.

Her conversation with Rin echoed in her ears. This was definitely something serious.

***

“Kouga, you really don’t have to walk me up.”

The ookami looked down at his girlfriend and bit back a snort. They were currently in the elevator, waiting for the doors to close and carry them up from the parking floor. He could have simply dropped her off after making sure her car was still in its parking spot, but he couldn’t resist.

“Nope, don’t have to at all.” He flashed her a grin as they began to move up. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

Her reaction was adorable. A light blush flared on her cheeks while her eyes narrowed at him shrewdly. “You’re only doing this so you can piss off Sesshomaru.”

Kouga didn’t even bother to lie.

She blew out a frustrated sigh. “Kouga–”

He interrupted her with a kiss. “It’s not _just_ to piss him off, though that’s definitely a perk,” he rumbled against her lips, loving the feel of their softness brushing against his. “I have some time to spare before I have to head to the school and if I can spend that time with you, that’s what I want to do.”

There’s the smile he was waiting for, the small, shy one that spoke of genuine happiness. “Dork.”

He pressed another kiss to her lips before the elevator slowed to a stop at her floor. He quietly followed her down the hallway to her office, noting the lack of bodies on the floor. “You here early?”

“We have a meeting that I still have a few things to get ready for,” she answered over her shoulder as she walked through her door. “I’ll probably leave early today to make up for it and I didn’t want you to be late for work.”

He shook his head as he wandered into her space. The longer she worked here, the more it looked like her. It wasn’t a huge change from her first day there, but the little touches made all the difference. Her purse went into one of her desk drawers, she flicked her computer on, then settled her coffee mug (well, _his_ mug that she used) onto the desk. “Will I see you tonight?”

Her tone had changed, along with her scent, telling of a sudden surge of shyness. “I was hoping you would.” He stepped toward her, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist. “I figured we had some work to get done.”

“Oh? _We_ have work to get done?”

“If you have any work to do, yes,” he replied easily, leaning down to nuzzle into the curve of her neck. “If you don’t, then you can distract me for a change.”

A new scent caught his attention. Sesshomaru just got off the elevator. The anger from the night before resurfaced easily. Before she could react to the subtle tension that appeared in his shoulders, he pulled back and kissed her again, thankful for the extra height her heels gave her. She returned the kiss, lips moving in rhythm with his.

She slowly pulled away from him, a small smile on her face. “Have a good day at work.”

“You, too.” Another small kiss and then he released her, taking his cue. “Your place or mine?”

“Is mine okay?”

The shyness was back and it sent a small pang through him. She didn’t have anything to be shy of. “Of course. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

Her answering smile was the one that caught his attention all those years ago. “I’ll see you then.”

He sent her one last lingering glance, taking in the sight of her in dark, form fitting jeans and a gray knit sweater. He loved the more casual looks she reserved for the later days in the week when she was allowed to work for herself. It reminded him of the carefree undergrad with surprising focus toward her studies he met at the university.

Some things never change.

He made his way out of her office and down toward the elevator, knowing what was waiting for him. Sesshomaru’s scent had never moved since he arrived and the ookami had a strong feeling that he wouldn’t be descending down the elevator shaft alone.

Golden eyes met his, a stoic expression shielding any thoughts the inu might have had. “Ookami.”

Kouga held back a smirk. Expressionless or not, that bass held an edge of annoyance. “Inu.”

“To what do I owe this visit?”

“Nothing, really. I was just dropping off my girlfriend.” Ooh. That word hit its mark as those eyes narrowed. Kouga tapped the down button, refusing to look away from the daiyoukai that was apparently a little too possessive over things that weren’t his.

“Leaving?”

“Yep.” The elevator door opened. “Now heading to work.”

“Allow me to accompany you down.”

Blue eyes narrowed as Sesshomaru followed him into the small space, not waiting for a response. As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere shifted. Now out of hearing from his miko, Kouga realized what Sesshomaru had intended. Well, two can play that game.

“Where do you work?”

“I teach history at the high school.”

A sound that could only be called a dignified snort left the daiyoukai. “I didn’t realize you would fit in the school system.”

Kouga let the dig slide. It was a common doubt, most older youkai remembering the ever-running ookami of his past. “It works,” he replied with a shrug. “Don’t have to study events as hard when I can simply remember them.”

“Where does my designer fit in with that?”

With no Kagome around, he didn’t bother keeping a growl out of his voice. “She’s not _your_ designer.”

Cold eyes glared at him, trying to bear down on the wolf. Kouga held back a laugh; he didn’t hold onto his Alpha status this long to be intimidated so easily.

“So what is she?”

“A damned good artist who chose to work on your project.”

“Feeling jealous, Ookami?”

Kouga couldn’t help but bare his fangs. “What do I have to be jealous of? I don’t have to manipulate her to stay by my side.”

The elevator hit the parking floor, but neither youkai paid attention to it.

Fire flared in Sesshomaru’s gaze. “She didn’t do anything she didn’t consent to.”

“Your _senses_ should tell you there’s more than one way to say no.” Sarcasm dripped in his tone and he saw the anger flare at his words.

“And she had a safe word at her disposal,” the daiyoukai hissed, shocking the ookami.

_Safe word?_

“That miko is more than capable of making her thoughts known,” Sesshomaru bit out. “Do _not_ speak of what you do not know, wolf.”

Blue eyes narrowed in anger, glaring at the inu. “She’s also not yours,” he snarled. “Stop laying a claim you _don’t_ have.”

The two stared at each other, having hit an impasse. To continue would mean bloodshed, as their youki was already battering against each other, sending vibrations up the elevator shaft. The realization that Kagome was sensitive enough to feel it hit the two at the same time. 

They reined in their youki, breaking the argument quickly. Kouga stalked out of the elevator as Sesshomaru hit button for his floor. 

As the ookami headed for his car, echoes of Sesshomaru’s words bounced around in his head. _Safe word_. He now wasn’t so sure he could ignore some of his unanswered questions.


	9. A First

The clang of weights hitting the ground drew Sango’s attention as she rounded the corner in the gym. Thursday afternoons were usually a slow time, most people still at work or getting ready for their night out. It was the time of day she usually preferred to work out, light traffic outside and little competition for space on the mat allowed her to get ready for her normal late afternoon appointments.

Kagome was already in the middle of a grueling shoulder-thigh combo and the miko was angrily focused on her own reflection in the mirror. The taijiya took a moment to study her friend, noting the upped weight amount in her hands and the sharp angles in her stance. Also didn’t help that curses and insults were practically etched into her expression. Knowing the conversation would come when Kagome needed it to, Sango grabbed her own weights and started her routine.

It didn’t take long for them to sync. The two had been going to the gym together for so long that it was second nature to match speed and intensity. This was especially helpful today, as Sango purposefully kept her movements calm and relaxed. Slowly, the tension and simmering anger ebbed away from Kagome’s form, until all that was left was a miko lost in thought.

“I almost quit today.”

Her voice was soft, tone speaking of many different things at once. Sango waited, silently fishing out the reason for this impromptu workout.

“I don’t even know what they talked about, but I felt the argument.” Kagome placed her weights back on the rack and grabbed a towel, dabbing the sweat off her forehead. “He promised to leave Kouga alone.”

Sango waited a beat and mentally berated herself, already aggravated at what she was about to ask. “You sure he wasn’t provoked?”

The expression that flashed across Kagome’s face was answer enough. The miko grabbed her water bottle, using the time to piece together her thoughts.

“He knew he was wrong,” she murmured. “He escorted Kouga out of the building and by the time he got back up the elevator, his youki was so carefully controlled that he just _knew_.”

“And Kouga’s?”

The water bottle and towel were both set back down. “Same thing. They both flared so bad I could feel it in my office, then it disappeared.” She ran her palms over her head, tucking the flyaway hairs behind her ears. “I haven’t talked to either one of them.”

“What are you going to do?” Sango asked as they both picked out their weights for the next set.

Kagome grimaced at the question. “I’ll have to talk to Kouga sometime. I guess I’ll see how the rest of the weekend goes and if I have to confront Sesshomaru, then that will be a wonderful Monday morning.”

Sango studied her friend for a moment, her heart aching. Knowing what was coming up, she allowed the conversation to drop. Kagome knew she was there; when the miko needed help, she would ask for it.

The next half hour was spent in companionable silence, but Kagome left the gym in a lighter mood. 

*** 

Kouga slowly raised his hand to knock on the front door. It had been one hell of a day after leaving Kagome’s work that morning. His conversation with Sesshomaru just wouldn’t leave his head and he didn’t like the paths his mind took when thinking about it.

And judging by the solemn feel of Kagome’s aura inside, he wasn’t the only one.

The door opened, revealing one tired miko. She offered him a small smile, her blue eyes twinkling up at him as he stepped inside. He watched as she closed the door behind him, latching the lock before turning back to him. After a moment of staring, he reached out and tugged her to him, curling her against his chest.

The two stood there in the foyer in silence, holding onto one another as they allowed themselves to settle. Taking in a deep breath, Kouga allowed her scent to calm his nerves before speaking the words that had been weighing so heavily on his mind all day.

“I’m sorry.” He felt her tense and only tightened his arms in response. “We’re going to have a fight over this morning, aren’t we?”

Her breath left her and she deflated against his chest. He felt her hands clench in his shirt, bunching the fabric along his shoulder blades. “Probably,” she answered softly. “I don’t want to fight, but we probably will.”

His heart twisted at the pain in her voice. If only he had kept his temper in check. Pressing a kiss to her hair, he slowly pulled back, reaching out to tilt her chin up. “Do you want to start now or wait until after dinner?”

A smile cracked at her lips. “Only you would try to plan an argument.”

He took her unspoken invitation and leaned down to kiss her. She returned the kiss immediately, which eased some of the tightness in his chest.

He watched silently as she pulled back enough to look at him, her eyes flickering between the two of his. She took in a breath, then stopped. Her eyes flickered through different thoughts, telling the story of an idea forming without giving him the slightest clue what she was thinking. When the pieces fell into place, the wicked gleam in her eyes sent heat down his spine.

“Come on,” she murmured, grabbing his hand and tugging him after her.

Confused, he followed, wondering what was going through her mind as she led him to her living room. Hands hit his chest and he allowed her to push him onto the couch, only to be surprised when she clambered into his lap.

Lips claimed his before he could even ask. He returned the kiss, allowing her tongue and taste past his teeth. Her hands traveled up his chest, over his shoulders and into his hair, pulling out his ponytail before her nails scratched over his scalp. His own hands had found her hips, tightening in response to the onslaught of sudden pleasure.

Her lips trailed down his jaw before nipping along the sensitive line of his neck. Teeth needled his earlobe as her hips ground into his and when the scent of her arousal mixed with her blood hit his nose, he saw white.

“Did you two fight this morning?”

Kouga forced himself to concentrate on her words. “Yes,” he groaned as her tongue joined her teeth.

Her hands left his scalp and made their way down to his slacks, playing with the button. “Why?”

The brush of her knuckles over the ache of his cock was too much of a tease and he pushed his hips up against her.

Everything stilled. “ _Why?_ ”

“He called you his.” His answer came out in a rush, not knowing why she stopped and wanting to do anything to get her hands—

_Yes_. 

His slacks loosened and her hand snuck in, wrapping around his length through the thin cotton of his underwear, and pulled. He thrust up into her, his grip on her hips keeping her stable.

He felt the band of his boxers pull away from his hips and felt his breath freeze. “And you took the bait?”

“Bait?”

She pulled away from his neck and looked down at him, an eyebrow raised. “If he called me his,” those fingers brushed along his cock and he felt his lids flutter, “he was only doing so to get a rise out of you.”

He pressed his hips up. Her hand was so close and the soft drag of her fingertips over his shaft sent shocks of pleasure arching over him. Wanting to impart _something_ back on her, he buried one hand in her hair, pulling her mouth back to his. It was his tongue in her mouth this time and he took advantage, seeking out all the sounds he could get her to make.

Then her hand gripped his shaft and _pulled_ and his head was thrown back against the couch.

He managed to open his eyes when her hand disappeared, just in time to see her pink tongue peek out and lick her palm. She kept her gaze on his, watching him with smoldering blue eyes as she wet the entirety of her hand. When she gripped his shaft again, all slick and soft with a tight grip, he thrust up against her again.

She set a hard, fast rhythm, the one she knew would work the quickest.

“There are already boundaries he can’t cross,” she murmured, using her free hand to pull away the collar of his shirt. “I can’t have you provoking him.” Her tongue swiped over his collarbone, almost taking away any response he had.

“I didn’t provoke him,” he bit out through clenched teeth, moving his hips in rhythm with her hand.

“Did you bring up our conversation last night?”

He fisted her hair, pulling her back to see the fire in her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest was heaving and if he had to drown on the scent of her desire much longer, he was going to snap. “Why do you want to know?” The question came out on a growl, and damn if it didn’t make her eyes glaze over a bit more.

Smelling the weakness, he lunged. His fangs caught the tendon in her neck and she cried out, squeezing his cock as her hips thrust down on his thighs. “You want to know about our conversation?” he snarled before sucking on that spot hard enough to bruise.

Kagome only moaned in reply.

“You want to know what I said? How I told him you weren’t his?” His hand on her hip slid to her ass, fingers digging into the supple flesh. “How I could never be jealous of him because you _choose_ to be with me?”

He was getting to her. Her rhythm stuttered to a stop, her pulse was going mad under his teeth, and her scent exploded around the room, smelling of everything that called the wolf in his blood. “Miroku told me you walked away from any claim he had years ago,” he rumbled into her ear. “Right?”

She stuttered out a sound he took to mean yes.

“Then why should I have to listen to that?”

A beat, and then–

“Because that’s my _work_ you’re interfering with!” She wrenched away from him and he let her go, leaning back to watch the flare of anger. “I’m dating you, I’m fucking you, I’m with _you_. What else do you need?!”

Because it had been weighing on his mind all day, because it sparked more questions than it answered, because he just didn’t _understand_ , he blurted out the one question he probably should have kept to himself. “What was your safe word?”

The reaction was instant. Her entire body stopped moving, stopped twitching, stopped everything. Her eyes went wide, shock written plainly on his face. It wasn’t just her, though. The air had shifted, erasing the thick weight of desire and frustration.

“What?”

Kouga swallowed back a grimace. That was not the question he wanted to ask, but he was in it now.

“How did you…”

“You were his submissive?”

Her hands left him and she sat back on his thighs. He bravely kept her gaze, watching as the shock ebbed slowly into something he couldn’t read.

“Do you actually want to know?” Kagome asked softly.

Kouga thought on that. His first reaction was yes, he wanted to know everything, but that didn’t feel right. She was dating him. Her past relationships didn’t really matter, but…

“I normally operate under the belief that the past stays in the past, but this one just keeps popping up.” Her eyes flickered down to his lap and her cheeks reddened. He forced himself to breathe when she ran her finger up the length of his still-hard cock, but that was all she did.

He let her sit there. She was right, but he knew better than to push.

“We didn’t date, as you probably know,” Kagome began. “I was…entranced. He was attractive and I was finally an adult. When he showed interest in me, I jumped at the chance.”

He heard her swallow, her eyes now flickering to the couch. “Sesshomaru was very honest about his expectations. I knew what I was getting into beforehand and decided I could do it. So yes,” her gaze lifted to fix firmly on his, “I was his submissive.”

Kouga rubbed circles into the tops of her thighs. He appreciated what she was offering and wanted her to know it.

“He taught me everything I wanted to know about sex. In return, I gave him my submission. For the first couple months, it worked. Then…” she paused, her eyes flickering a bit, “then I became emotional. I wanted more.”

From what Kouga knew about Kagome, that was no surprise.

“I started becoming jealous, wanting to spend time with him outside of the limits of our agreement. He was cold, but I realize now he didn’t know how else to handle what I was throwing at him. It built and built and built until all that was left for us was to end.”

“How did it end?” He was quite proud his voice didn’t break.

“Horribly,” the miko laughed. “The first display of emotion on his part and it was anger. It was an awful fight.”

“What did you fight about?”

She blew out a breath, expressions flitting across her face. “Everything and nothing. I was leaving and looking for him to give me a reason to stay, but the reasons he had weren’t enough. And when I realized he wasn’t offering more, ever, I snapped.” She huffed of a laugh. “I was young and thought I was ‘the one’ to change him and it hurt to realize I wasn’t. So I blamed him.”

“And he didn’t take that well.”

“Of course not. I was the one in the wrong. The entire relationship was set outside of emotional attachments and my naivety got in the way. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t fall in love with me, and he was angry that I let myself get that far without changing anything.”

Kouga clamped his teeth onto his tongue. He was _not_ going to ask.

Too late. She saw his expression and offered him a small, wry smile. “We had a dynamic built on trust and honesty. When my emotions started forming, I should have told him and ended it.” She shrugged. “I was young and didn’t realize until it was too late and by then, I didn’t want to lose him. So I struggled for about two months before realizing that I didn’t have _him_ to lose; I was losing myself.”

He bounced around his thoughts for a second before forming his question. “Do you miss it?”

Kagome tilted her head, eyebrows furrowing as she turned over the question. “I thought I would,” she responded slowly, as if testing out how the words tasted on her tongue. He watched her sift through memories, thinking through what to share. “I missed certain things, but not enough to warrant getting back into that kind of relationship.”

Her gaze returned back to his lap and Kouga instantly realized he was still hanging out of his pants. Before he could move, she shot him a sly glance, teeth biting into her lower lip. She was then out of his lap and kneeling on the floor between his legs.

“Ka–”

“Shhhh,” she murmured, stroking him back to hardness. “You did a good job of teasing me earlier.”

“I couldn’t let you do all the work,” he grunted. “And we still–”

“We should probably stop this now, so you can think things over and I can figure out how to share.”

She had a valid point, and her attention to his crotch was effective in short circuiting his thoughts. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I know. That’s part of why I want to.” Both hands were fisting him now and she bent over to suck his tip into her mouth.

He could only groan in response.

“And since I can’t really ride you, I’ll just make you come like this.”

She was going to be the death of him, but hell if he wasn’t going to enjoy the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I'm so sorry it's taken this long. I had the hardest time figuring out what was coming next. It seriously took me a couple months to realize they were going to fight, and then writing the fight? Ugh. You can see how well that went.
> 
> 2\. I found that I ran out of steam. I got into a new fandom, so I binged on fanfiction. Thing it, some of those fanfics had wonderful starts and the plot was building spectacularly, but the climax wasn't what I anticipated, so I felt off. I had this sudden fear that my plan so far won't be enough. And it's terrifying. But I'm pushing myself through it and I'll get it going.
> 
> 3\. I currently have no Internet in the house. So, this chapter that has been annoying me for months took a week without Internet. I should try this more often.
> 
> 4\. One of my oneshots was nominated for the Feudal Awards! I'm so excited! (Spring Cleaning for Best Lemon.) It's been a wonderful boost in my lazy ass to keep writing. I honestly am so honored and humbled by it. So thank you all for reading and liking and just being awesome. I still can't believe I have readers, but I am so grateful to have you.
> 
> 5\. I'm on tumblr! I feel like every author has this posted at one point, but I do want you to know if you want any updates or would like a better platform to chat on, please find me over there -- my username is nikkxb.
> 
> I think that's it! I really hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Sorry to cut the smut short, but I didn't think it was needed after last chapter. Let me know what you think!!


	10. A Conversation

“He’s going to kill us.”

“We’ll be fine.”

Two light knocks sounded on the door, both ookami suddenly alert as they waited for noises to come from inside. Maybe a scent. A scent would help, considering it would speak of Kagome’s current mood and possibly tell of Kouga’s potential mood and distract from Hakkaku’s nervous bouncing was already getting on Ginta’s last nerve.

“If you don’t stop jittering right now, _I’m_ going to kill yo—”

The scent hit right before they heard her unlock the door, both men reeling back on their feet for a moment before finally taking a step back.

Oh. _Oh_. This—this was going to suck.

“He’s going to _kill_ us,” came the final whisper, trembling as the door cracked open and he looked down into the clear blue eyes of his Alpha’s girlfriend. A wave of Kouga’s scent poured from the door, finally covering the tangy copper of her blood.

“Ginta? Hakkaku?” She opened the door wider and he almost uttered out a curse right then. “Can I help you?”

“We uh—” What were they even doing? “We wanted to stop by?”

He could see Hakkaku’s wide gaze staring at him in nervous shock and Ginta knew in that moment if he didn’t hurry up and untie his tongue, they were going to have a confused woman and an angry ookami on their front porch.

Soon.

“We’re sorry for the intrusion,” he hurried. “We just…We wanted to check on you. Yesterday seemed to be tense and the pack had a few concerns and we…thought it would be best to maybe talk about a few things?”

He almost explained _why_ – the spike in anger the pack felt the morning before, the worry and tension that tightened their muscles through the day, the anger and wave of possession that washed over again in the afternoon, but he was absolutely not going to mention the utter satisfaction from last night. Nope. Not at all. Didn’t need to be said. They’d already heard enough from the first-time teasing—

“Oh.” Some understanding flashed in her eyes before a sweet trickle of embarrassment hit his nose. Well. Better than shame? “Would you like to come in?”

He ignored the even larger eyes saying no and stepped in, a _thank you_ leaving his lips before he was hit full force with the scent of Kouga and Kagome and Kagome’s current…state.

They were so dead.

***

The nervous energy from Hakkaku was weird. So incredibly weird. A nervous youkai was an odd one and while she was certain her class in college touched on it, encountering one was completely different. She almost didn’t know what to do.

“Would you like something to drink?” The door clicked shut behind them and she turned toward her kitchen. “Coffee? I might have some tea somewhere. Also water and alcohol and I think there might be some—”

“Coffee’s fine.”

“Okay. Make yourself at home and I’ll be right out.” If she remembered correctly, neither one had added much to their coffees, though she wasn’t quite sure. Better to offer sugar and creamer with the cups than try to guess their preferences. Why they were there in the first place, she had no clue, but that would stop her from being a gracious host.

She was fishing out the open bag of coffee when a nervous shuffling caught her attention.

Both ookami were standing at the entrance to her kitchen, almost too scared to touch anything. Hakkaku seemed to have calmed down some, but Ginta’s shoulders were still stiff as a board. Their eyes were bouncing everywhere and nowhere and she was certain had their tails been showing, they’d be twitching in agitation.

“Are you two okay?”

“Mhm. Just fine,” Hakkaku said with not an ounce of conviction in his tone.

_Right_. Ignore, ignore, ignore, just make the coffee and maybe spark some kind of conversation. “So how did you find my house?”

For two established youkai, these two didn’t do a great job of keeping their internal thoughts internal.

“Uh…”

Filter, grounds, water, and then she flicked the button, letting them squirm before offering her own guess. “Either Kouga told you or you asked Souta, but I’m really doubting the second one.”

There was a long pause.

“Kouga.”

“So you guys could find him if you needed to?”

“Yeah.” Ginta’s tone was lighter, freer, and Kagome almost smiled to herself. The air shifted, their youki flustered and brushed against her skin, causing small sparks to charge through the room before they reined in back in. “What the—”

“Sorry about that. I’m a miko,” she explained, pulling three mugs down from her cabinet. She added sugar to her cup before offering them the spoon, taking the moment to assess the small ways their stance had loosened. “I wasn’t quite paying attention. You can let it out again, I’ll have more control.”

“You’re a miko?” came a curious question.

“Did Kouga not tell you?” The smell of percolating coffee was starting to fill the kitchen and she took a second to breathe in the scent. Turning to face them, she flashed a smile before sliding into a chair at her breakfast table. “Yeah, registered and everything, but nothing to worry about. Well, I guess if you wished me harm or something, but I don’t see that happening. You guys are safe. And Kouga’s safe. The last thing I want to do is hurt any of you.”

Holy yowza did their nervous energy shift into hers. At this rate, she’d never shut up.

Ginta sat easily, though it seemed Hakkaku was a bit more hesitant. She wondered if it was a youkai thing she wasn’t aware of. “By register,” Ginta drew her attention again, “you mean like the youkai have to register?”

“Yep. It was part of the compromise to ensure there wouldn’t be violence from either side. Since the humans were asking all the youkai to track names in an effort to keep account, they offered the same.”

The coffee maker beeped in completion and Kagome shot out to grab the pot.

“Most shrines register, too. Because so much distrust against youkai is mixed in with the history taught in shrines, they collectively offered to be a part of the registry. It helps make sure no one’s purporting that old way of thinking anymore.” She filled both their cups and served them at the table before returning for her own. “But since I happened to be a miko, I got to register a bit differently.”

“How does miko registration work?” Hakkaku poured in a bit of her creamer before tasting it. “Is it the same as how we have to?”

“A little, I think.” Kagome savored her first sip as she sorted her answer into words. “At least from what I know, but it’s not as involved. More like a family tree if that makes any sense. For instance, if I wasn’t born on a shrine, I would be registered with an imprint of my reiki and then my parents and grandparents would be noted in my file.”

Ginta got up to add a bit of sugar and stirred it in as he sat back down. “Why your grandparents?”

“It seems they’ve been able to connect quite a few people back to the same family lines. It’s just easier to get two branches up from me and see if anything connects with others added.” The coffee really was such a good choice. Just the aroma cleared out her head and helped fight off the headache that was normally present halfway through her period. “Because of the shrine, my entire family is registered and made it a bit easier for me to finish everything.

“What about you?” she asked, forcing the conversation toward them and shutting herself up. “What is the youkai registration like?”

“Seems a bit similar to yours, though much more in depth.” Ginta took another sip. “This coffee is really good.”

“Seriously good. We should try copying your way of making coffee.”

A smile fluttered over Kagome’s face as she warmed at the compliment.

“Each kind has a different registry, so in terms of specifics, I can only speak for the ookami. Others might have different things included that I don’t know of.”

She lifted an eyebrow in confusion, content to wait silently for the information.

“Like, we’re registered by pack. Kouga’s listed as Alpha and then we’re added as the betas and so on and so forth. When we gain a new member or say someone has cubs, they’re added to the registry and their youkai is imprinted, much like your reiki.”

“Or if someone mates,” Hakkaku added. “The register is updated to show the relationship. Humans are added, too, so if you and Ko—” His sentence was ended in a sudden, pained yelp.

Kagome felt her cheeks turn white, then flush immediately red. _If you and Kouga mate._ The sentence rang through her head and she hid it with another sip from her cup. Mated. So…final. Permanent. Though she had been raised to treat marriage to be just as permanent, it just didn’t feel the same way being mated did. And to think about her being mated to Kouga?

Forever. Basically like living forever, if the rumors were true about mated humans. Plus, the possibility of her own powers conducting his and she could literally be sharing his lifetime. Forever with Kouga. Forever mated to Kouga. Forever in love with Kouga.

In love?! They hadn’t even been dating a month! It was way too soon to be thinking about anything permanent like mating. She needed to meet the rest of his pack and he needed to meet her grandfather and they had to work out whatever was going on with Sesshomaru and it’s not like she was in love with him _yet_ —

Yet?

Hakkaku’s recovery pulled her right out of her thoughts. “It’s not the same for human mates.” The three of them all bought a bit of time through their respective cups. “They’re added into the youkai’s file, but they’re not registered in the same way we are.”

“So, are you a trained miko?” Ginta steered the conversation back into safe territory and Kagome couldn’t have been more grateful.

“Somewhat.” Moving on, moving on, no more thinking about mating Kouga. “They stopped doing ceremonial training in the seventies, so now it’s more about being able to control enough to keep from accidentally purifying anything. I’m not nearly as talented as some of the others I took classes with, but I have a pretty good control over it now.”

“Have you ever purified anything?”

“Once. That’s actually how I met Inuyasha.” She grinned as the memory surfaced. “His family came to visit the shrine and he was in the bushes looking for something. I saw his ears and thought he was a dog, so I went over to pet him. Scared the living daylights out of me when he yelled at me and he ended up with a bit of singed hair.”

At the two horrified looks given her, she rushed to continue on with the story. “Thankfully, that’s all that happened and he was no worse for wear. Scared us more than anything else and I paid closer attention in my classes after that. Haven’t had any accidental issues since, though I have used it to run off a few assholes in college.”

“It’s not a complete purification?”

Seemed miko powers weren’t taught all that well to youkai.

“No, there’s stages. It starts with the youki surrounding you then can travel further if intended. Nowadays, purification is mostly used to cleanse areas of lingering auras.”

Ginta’s brows furrowed a moment. “Can you purify scents?”

Kagome blinked, an idea forming at his very words. “I sure can.”

***

Kouga stared at her closed door, letting the scents from the day unravel and fill his nostrils. Lust hit him first at the scent of Kagome and he relished in the heat sliding underneath his skin. Such an immediate reaction and a _good_ one, too. One to be savored, which he did. Letting it glide through his body, feeling his fur stand on end and the pressure of fangs in his mouth. He took in another breath to let it linger before letting it go. Another time. Right now, he had other things to focus on, like his girlfriend waiting inside and the two idiots he was going to have to talk to.

Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and carefully kept control of his face. Her laughter rang out sharp and clear, followed by the guffaws of his beta and he made his way to the living room.

Kagome was curled up on her large chair while Hakkaku and Ginta were relaxed on her couch and he almost wanted to snarl at the way their scents mingled with hers. He didn’t. Barely. Instead, he ignored the two and headed straight toward the dark-haired beauty that lit up his entire day, nuzzling into her neck before giving her a kiss hello. A pleased satisfaction filled him that the two stiffened right up, their ease cut short at his appearance.

“What are you two doing here?” he asked gruffly while making himself comfortable. Didn’t take much, lifting Kagome into his arms and taking her place on the cushions, then wasting not a single second to wrap her up in his embrace.

His nose found the curve of her neck and one long, deep breath had the stress of the day draining away.

“Uh, you see, we just—”

“They wanted to check on you,” Kagome answered while snuggling back against him.

Good. She belonged there. “In your home?”

She huffed against him and her fingers tugged at his shirt. “What, you expect them to bother you at work and ask what had you worked up into a tiff yesterday?”

“Worked up in a tiff, huh?” He nipped her with his fangs, smiling at her little jolt at the sharp caress. It was easy to ignore the company and soothe the pain with small kisses, but he didn’t ignore them for long.

Kagome seemed to sense it, though. “And then we got to talking and I must have lost track of time.”

Finally, he looked at his betas, both looking a little weary. Kagome wouldn’t realize, but their scents had thoroughly laced with hers in the living room. Not that he could really blame them if they had good conversation and it smelled like it had. But after the shitty day he’d had, he wanted nothing more than to banish the outside world and lose himself in nothing but her soft skin, her beautiful voice, and her perfect scent.

“You two know the way out?”

“Kouga! You can’t just—”

“We know the way. And we better get going, too.” Hakkaku all but leapt out of the room toward the door.

“It was nice talking to you, Kagome.”

“You, too, Ginta. You two are always welcomed over.”

A low growl rumbled from his chest and sent the ookami scurrying after his partner. Kouga didn’t relax until he heard the front door close. He pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck once more. She was quickly becoming a staple in his life and the thought of her not being there felt like a sharp thorn burrowed in his heart.

“What was that about?” she murmured after a stretch of silence.

A few answers flit through his mind before he settled on the truth. “Bad day. Didn’t want to deal with them. Your scent is soothing and they were ruining it. They’ll understand.”

There was a flutter in her scent, bright and cheerful like the first rays of sun after a storm before it mellowed out. “What happened?”

“Two kids got in a fight.” Just remembering the day had his arms tightening around her. “Wouldn’t have been a problem if it hadn’t been a youkai and a human. Only the human ended up being a monk and didn’t know it, so we all found out the hard way.”

“Oh no,” she gasped. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah. Well. They will be.” With a large breath, he finally pulled back and looked at her. “Kid got so angry he made _me_ lose control. Thankfully there was another teacher around who could step in. Kept me from accidentally hurting either one of them.”

“How’s the little youkai?”

“Lucked out. The monk didn’t target, so it was more a burst of energy. Ended up with a few singed hairs and a nasty burn on his arm, but it should heal with no problem.” He rubbed his cheek along hers. She was so damn soft and so damn inviting, just touching her helped him keep calm. “Parents were called, couple announcements were made through the school. We’ll have to be careful next week and make sure none of the administration tries to pass policy that will just hurt the kids. They already tried to keep us from talking about it, but I couldn’t.”

The anger was still fresh at that idiotic decree. Not explain what happened? Not walk through the normal things he lived with day in and day out? Breed ignorance between species in the malleable minds of his students?

“My kids watched it, Kagome. How could I not talk about what happened right in front of them?” Kouga faced her, finding her gaze and almost willing her to believe him. “They’ve never seen my claws or even knew I had a tail and I’m supposed to ignore everything and let them find out wrong information elsewhere?”

“You couldn’t,” she responded and a breath of relief left him. “You did the right thing.”

He nodded, eyes closing and embracing her support. Last thing he wanted to do was talk about this, but his damn tongue wouldn’t cooperate and next thing he knew, he was babbling everything he wanted to say that entire day.

“Not answering questions would have left them open to a whole slew of bullshit. And there’s already enough prejudice out there, I can’t foster it in my own classroom. And then the next class came in and they heard about it, so next thing I know, I’m speaking to dozens and dozens of kids about youkai and humans mixing and why it’s a good thing even at the risk of injury. Only to hear some asshole teacher talking about how youkai should never mingle with monks or mikos and dammit that’s not fucking true.” His words turned to a nasty snarl and he loved her even more when she didn’t bat an eye. “I wanted to rip into them, but you’re _my_ personal life. I’m not ready to share you with my work.”

Kagome was quiet, but he didn’t really expect anything different. Her palm cupped his cheek and her eyebrows furrowed a bit, but she didn’t say a word.

“Fuck.” His frustration left with a huff and he leaned into her hand. “Just the thought of someone trying to take you away from me because of our natures makes me want to lock the damn door and never let anyone in.”

The corner of her lip twitched into a small smile, but he didn’t take too much stock in it. Emotions were running close to the surface, ragged and raw and so potent that he was worried he was going to be too honest and scare her off. But damn if he could convince himself to pull away.

“No one’s going to do that, Kouga,” she soothed. “Accidents happen and people like to talk out their butts when they do, but that doesn’t make them right.” That smile finally blossomed out and his shoulders eased. “You did what you could. You gave your kids something to think about. They’ll take the weekend and be back on Monday with a different outlook and it’ll be okay.”

Her thumb soothed over his eyebrow before she tucked herself underneath his chin. “Just watch. It’ll blow over and you’ll be back to being annoyed at them missing homework in no time. And if it doesn’t, you’ll figure it out.” A thrum of mischief hit his nose and warned him of her next comment. “Face it, babe. You have centuries on them. I’m sure you can manage a few blowhards.”

His answering scoff covered a laugh, but the smile chased away the last of his fear. She was right, just like he knew she’d be, and she made a fair point. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, silently offering his thanks.

It wasn’t over and Kouga knew there would be more to answer for after the weekend ended, but for right now, all he could do was enjoy her company.

“Anything I can do?” she asked.

His smile softened and he settled further into the chair. “Just sit and let me hold you. That’s all I’ll ever need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot's happened in the last two years. I got married recently, moved in with my husband, just started a new job last week, have been building my nail business, and well. Trying to live life.
> 
> For the longest time, I thought this story was going to end up abandoned. I don't like certain points and when I look back at it now, all I can see is what's wrong. But I have an idea on how to fix it from here going forward and I remembered a few things that were holding me back.
> 
> BUT. Two things to point out with this chapter. First, the idea for Kagome purifying scents came from 1CarinoInu on AO3 in a review back on the third chapter. It wasn't something I'd even considered, so thank you for the idea! It's interesting to see how I can use it now, hope that's okay!
> 
> Second, a huge reason this chapter was even written is thanks to theladypantera on FFN. While reading through Gambling, they left reviews through various chapters and it just...man. It warmed my heart. Even though I don't know if they got to this story or if they gave up and moved on, a huge thank you to them. Reviews make it. I know authors harp on it all the time, but seriously. Two fucking years of leaving this story behind and eight days after one person commented throughout their read through, I have a chapter to post.
> 
> I don't intend for this to be a pity party or a guilt trip, simply an acknowledgement of where the source of my muse is founded. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I cannot express how much it means and I hope this chapter makes up for the wait, even if just a little.


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